CAF Champions League: Mukundane strike hands Vipers SC vital first-leg win

Vipers SC began their CAF Champions League campaign on a positive note with a hard-fought 1-0 victory away to African Stars in the preliminary round first leg, played at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Friday evening.

The Ugandan champions made their intentions clear from the start, with Karim Watambala and Enock Ssebaggala both testing the Namibian defence inside the opening 10 minutes.

The breakthrough arrived in the 13th minute when Hilary Mukundane diverted Watambala’s curling effort into the net, giving the visitors a precious early lead.

The Venoms continued to press forward, and they almost doubled their advantage when Milton Karisa’s teasing cross found Gusto Mulongo, only for defender Vevangapi Mbuende to produce a heroic goal-line clearance.

Throughout the first half, Vipers dictated the tempo, with Taddeo Lwanga, Watambala, and Ssebaggala controlling midfield exchanges while Allan Okello and Karisa consistently stretched the African Stars’ backline.

After halftime, the Venoms introduced Odili Chukwuma and Mark Yallah to maintain momentum.

The Venoms remained dominant but were forced to contend with a compact defensive setup from the hosts, who dropped deeper as the match wore on.

Late changes saw Yunus Sentamu and Derrick Ndahiro enter the fray, with Sentamu nearly sealing the contest in stoppage time, only to miss from close range after rounding goalkeeper Michael James.

Despite that late scare, Vipers held on to secure a priceless away result, giving themselves the edge heading into the decisive return leg in Uganda next week.

The two sides meet again in Kitende on September 27, where Vipers will look to finish the job in front of their home supporters and progress to the next round.