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During the first leg of Vipers SC’s Caf Champions League clash with Zambia’s Power Dynamos on October 19 at the St Mary’s stadium in Kitende, the club’s supremo Dr Lawrence Mulindwa received a rapturous applause from the fans, that kept him standing for a while in vigorous celebration.
Unlike such happening when a team has won the game, the applause was done in honour of the role Mulindwa had played in compelling the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) to call off their new league format.
It proved to be a great milestone for Mulindwa and a host of the football fraternity that wanted the old league format back. But after that, Mulindwa had surely moved on to the next big thing, which was attempting to qualify for the Caf Champions League group stages.
Unfortunately, after the two legs, Vipers bowed out 3-2 on aggregate, missing out on a possible paycheck of Shs 2 billion. For Vipers, focus now turns to the UPL, as they face Entebbe UPPC in Bugonga on Saturday, November 1.
However, questions about their elimination from the Caf Champions League continue, where the after-effects may haunt the seven-time champions long into the season. It should be noted that heading into the 2025/26 season, Vipers were on a high, having won a league and cup double last season.
A lot of expectations were on them, and most especially on their new coach, Ivan Minnaert from Belgium. As is usually the case, when a new sheriff is in town, expect changes. Vipers thrived a lot last season while using the 4-4-2 diamond system.
It brought the best out of Moses Waiswa, Allan Okello and Karim Watambala. But the new coach favours the 4-3-3 system instead. This has caused a few complications already, particularly in the fact that Minnaert has switched some of the playing personnel from roles that suited them previously.
For example, Okello, who enjoyed playing behind the two forwards in his favourite number 10, has now had to adapt into a number 8. If that is not already a problem for him, the fact that he is expected to drop back more to defend, is proving cumbersome.
It is not his ideal, and it has shown in the games he played against Dynamos. Notably, the addition of Enock Ssebaggala was celebrated in Kitende when it happened. The former NEC FC midfielder appears to have caught the fancy of the Minnaert as a high-brid midfielder with lots of energy.
While Ssebaggala enjoys getting into the penalty box more than anything else, it will take him time to adapt to his new team’s approach, which also requires him to defend more. Perhaps, it was inevitable that Vipers’ continental run was short-lived.
The changes that are being wrung, including in the line-up, were bound to upset the team balance. A case in point, Rogers Torach, who formed a solid partnership with Hilary Mukundane, was dropped for the first leg, as new signing Kevin Dasylva was favoured instead.
In whatever position, partnerships take time to build. In addition, having Watambala and Okello as two number eights, ahead of the holding midfielder, Taddeo Lwanga has also looked awkward at times.
The team was unbalanced. Remember, Vipers added Arafat Usama and Odili Chukumwa in the close season, who the coach is now fitting in, too at the expense of Waiswa, for example.
There is already a sense of deja vu at Vipers, that Minnaert’s changes may actually put him in a similar situation as Nikola Kavazovic at the beginning of last season. No doubt, the trip to Bugonga is expected to be a tough one before KCCA FC visits Kitende next.
A source at the club, who preferred anonymity, noted that the lack of a substantive break for some of Vipers’ players like Okello has affected their form. They seem tired after so much activity with the Uganda Cranes.
Add the fact that Minnaert has not had all his players together for long because of the international breaks; Vipers have been left rather incoherent. This is seen in the numerous changes the coach has been making, as he continues to learn his players.
Clearly, circumstances appear to have conspired against Vipers. But to make a mark on the continent, a team builds it over time, yet Vipers had last been there in 2023, a period in which a few players have since moved on, leaving the team short on experience. The disappointment better not catch up with them in the league, too because of changes!
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