Shafic Kiyaga
Ugandan representatives at the Confederations of African Football (Caf) Champions League, Vipers have never made it past the preliminary stages of the continental club showpiece.
The Kitende-based side now have to defeat Sudanese giants El Meriekh in the return leg on December 5 to stand a chance of overcoming that hoodoo.
This after El Mereikh edged Vipers 2-1 in Khartoum on Wednesday.
Vipers however, started well in Khartoum piling the early pressure but could not capitalise on their early dominance as Waisswa’s free kick hit the wall as early as the second minute. And in the seventh minute, he failed to find the target after some clever dribble from midfield.
But the hosts remained resilient and managed to withstand the early pressure.
In the 14th minute, Meedo drew a fine save from goalkeeper Bashir Sekagya, who was playing his second game for the club in the place of injured Fabien Mutombola.
With just over an hour played, El Merriekh were awarded a penalty after forward Noah Wafula was penalised for a foul inside the area but midfielder Ahmed Adam put his effort wide of the goal post.
El Merriekh’s defender El Jas was the first to be booked after a foul on Wafula. Tito Okello beat his marker very well but his shot was well matched by shot stopper Monjed in the El Merreikh goal. Abraham Nduggwa’s shot off target wrapped up the action in the opening 45 minutes.
There are always two sides to a coin and as the second stanza got underway, El Merriekh flipped the other half of the coin as Sekagya superbly denied Al Madina Bakri with half an hour played. Livingstone Mulondo and Yayo Lutimba were booked in quick succession as Vipers tried to keep the game level.
Duncan Ssenijde was brought on for Tito Okello who had gone silent after his opening half display as Martinez tried to give his team more going forward. But it was the hosts that got the lead after Ibrahim Kiyimba handled the ball inside the area and Bakri made no mistake sending Sekagya in the opposite direction.
Abdel Tag scored El Merriekh second goal in the 88th minute which seemed to put the game to bed but Dan Sserunkuuma scored for Vipers in the 90th minute to give the visitors some light heading into the second leg.
The winner of this encounter will play whoever goes through between Algeria’s Constantine and Gambia’s Gamtel.
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