The champagne was on ice, but Vipers SC Head Coach Ivan Minnaert wasn’t ready to pop the cork just yet.
His Vipers SC side left Cape Town with a priceless 1-0 away victory over African Stars in the CAF Champions League preliminary round, yet the Belgian tactician cut a figure of caution rather than celebration.
“We even had chances to score more. One-nil isn’t a big advantage and it’s all to play for next week in Kitende,” Minnaert reminded, his words echoing a mixture of relief and resolve.
The breakthrough came early at Athlone Stadium when defender Hilary Mukundane reacted quickest, turning in Karim Watambala’s speculative strike past a scrambling goalkeeper Michael James in the 13th minute.
It should have been two before the interval. Gusto Mulongo’s effort seemed destined for the net until Stars’ skipper Vevangapi Mbuende pulled off a heroic goalline clearance that kept the Namibian champions in the contest.
From then on, Vipers had to balance ambition with caution.
If the first half belonged to the Ugandan champions, the second was a different story. African Stars pressed higher and harder, forcing Denis Kiggundu into a sharp reflex save from Godwin Eiseb’s effort.
The hosts’ momentum could have been brutally punished late on, but substitute Yunus Sentamu, clean through after rounding the keeper, somehow failed to put the tie beyond reach in stoppage time
That miss leaves the two-legged affair delicately poised. Vipers return to St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende, on September 27, holding the slimmest of cushions.
Minnaert knows the job is far from done:
“We were well prepared and managed the second half well, but it’s now about finishing the work at home.”
The stage is set for a high-stakes night in Kitende — a slender lead, a wary coach, and ninety minutes that could define Vipers’ continental journey.
