Super 8: Vipers Squeeze Past NEC to Reach Semifinals

Tuesday, August 6
*NEC 1-1 Vipers
(1-1 agg, Vipers progress on away goals rule)

Vipers SC squeezed past NEC to secure their place in the semifinals of the FUFA Super Eight.

The Venoms progressed on away goals rule after a 1-1 draw in the second leg on Tuesday at Lugogo.

The first leg at Kitende had ended in a goalless stalemate.

Vipers’ breakthrough came just before halftime when Milton Karisa capitalized on a defensive error by Ibrahim Kiyemba.

Kiyemba’s missed a clearance for Karisa to slot the ball past a helpless Hannington Ssebwalunyo, giving Vipers a crucial away goal.

NEC responded strongly in the second half. Their efforts were rewarded when new signing Dickson Niwamanya, who had come off the bench, scored with a brilliant header.

This goal came after Vipers’ goalkeeper, Jack Komakech, had ventured off his line, leaving the net exposed.

Komakech had previously kept his team in the game with three stunning saves, including a close-range stop from Niwamanya.

The match continued to be fiercely contested, and NEC almost found a late winner. Barni Kelvin’s header from a perfectly weighted corner narrowly missed the target, going just an inch over the crossbar.

The Venoms, bolstered by the return of head coach Nikola Kavazovic who had missed the first leg due to malaria, held firm in the final minutes to secure their progression to the semifinals.

They now await the winner of the tie between SC Villa and FUFA Select, with the latter holding a 2-1 lead ahead of Wednesday’s return leg.