KCCA FC finally registered their first win of the 2023/24 StarTimes Uganda Premier League (SUPL) season on Friday and they could not have chosen a better opponent to break the duck on.
Brace hero Shaban Muhammad was too much to handle for Vipers under the MTN Omondi Stadium floodlights before Usama Arafat put it beyond doubt late on.
Abubaker Lawal scored Vipers’ late consolation in the 3-1 away defeat.
KCCA move to four points from seven matches but remain in the bottom three.
Defending champions, Vipers, remain third on 14 points, four behind leaders BUL, after seven matches.
The 13-time league champions, KCCA, had lost their first five matches and drawn the sixth coming into this.
And Vipers, who had won four of their six games, were clear favourites at KCCA’s MTN Omondi Stadium.
But once the action whistle blew, it was KCCA who showed more hunger, a departure from how their previous games have been.
Coach Jackson Magera’s boys were ahead inside the second minute when Pilsner Man of the Match, Shaban, beat Vipers young goalkeeper Jack Komakech off Haruna Lukwago pass on two minutes.
The second for KCCA in the 58th minute was a bit contentious. A sweeping attack from the right saw Shaban nudge the ball towards goal but Vipers goalkeeper Komakech looked like he prevented it from crossing the line.
However, the linesman signaled for a goal and Lugogo roared into a roar of exhilaration.
Vipers had their chances through Yunus Sentamu and Milton Karisa but the hosts held their guard.
KCCA made it 3-0 in injury time when marauding Katenga Etienne beat his man on the left, cut inside and was fouled.
The referee waved play on and another KCCA shirt helped the ball onto Usama’s path.
The youngster emphatically beat Komakech from inside the area for a comfortable victory in added time. Not even Lawal’s late consolation for Vipers could amount to any comeback.
