Satuday, 4pm
Vipers SC (Uganda) vs Sfaxien (Tunisia)
After their impressive 3-0 home league victory at Onduparaka, Vipers SC will return to continental action this Saturday against Tunisia’s Club Sportif Sfaxien in the first leg of CAF Confederations Cup play-off stage at the St. Mary’s stadium, Kitende.
The Venoms have the underdog tagv despite being having the home advantage. Getting to the group stage is a feat that Vipers has never achieved –just like playing at this particular pre-group stage. But skipper Tadeo Lwanga is optimistic a home win this evening is achievable. The inspirational midfielder, who predicted a turf tie, returned from injury against Onduparaka on Tuesday and played at 70% fitness. “They are a good team we respect although we shall not accord them that respect on the pitch,” noted Lwanga, who believes that the players’ mentality has improved with the arrival on new technical staff. Vipers lead striker Dan Sserunkuma is aware that big matches make big players and Sfaxien tie gives every Vipers player room to prove. Sserunkuma has 7 league goals to his name this season, along with a CAF Champions league goal agaimst Al Merriekh in Sudan before the Uganda champions were eliminated to CAF Confederations Cup. The eight-time Tunisian champions side hope to secure a decent away result to ease the return leg. “It is the first time that I am in Uganda but the weather is beautiful. Vipers are a good team and it will be a difficult team but we can make a good result in Uganda,” noted Ruud Krol, the Sfaxien Head Coach who is worried of the artificial Kitende turf. Unlike Vipers that are at this stage for the first time, Sfaxien have won this competition four times –with the latest being in 2013 and lost on finals in 2010. The Ugandan champions will be without goal keeper Bashir Sekagya and defenders Fred Okot and Aggrey Madoi. The two sides meet in a week’s time for the return leg in Tunisia and the winner storms the Group stage of the 2018/19 competition.
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