The Ugandan team Vipers SC has made it to the next round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League preliminary round.
The Vipers beat Olympic Real De Bangui 1-0 in the return leg played on Saturday at the St. Marys Stadium, Kitende.
The Ugandan champions went on to qualify on a 4-0 goal aggregate to set-up a clash against former African champions TP Mazembe of DR Congo in the next round.
Vipers SC started in control of the match with midfielders Bright Anukani, Milton Karisa, and Yunus Sentamu combining well. After 19 minutes, Sentamu put Vipers SC ahead with a neat finish.
In the second half, the two teams still created limited chances, despite the Vipers making a couple of changes. At five minutes to full time, the team from the Central African Republic had striker Flory Jean Michael Yangao’s shot hit the woodwork.
The visitors, however, finished a man less after Flory Yangao was set off in the added time for unsportsmanlike conduct against Vipers player Issa Mubiru.
Speaking after the game, Vipers SC head coach Roberto Oliviera said building a strong side became a problem when his side lost three pivotal players in Ceasar Mazoki, Bobosi Byaruhanga, and captain Halid Lwaliwa. He, however, said he started preparing his team for the continental games earlier, which gave him an advantage.
The opponents’ coach, Jean-Etienne Momokoamas, said the first leg cost his side, and a couple of his players missed the game, which created an imbalance in his squad. “Many of the players did not take part in this game,” he added.
Vipers SC will now meet five-time CAF Champions League winners TP Mazembe, who received a bye in the first preliminary round, and the winner of that clash will progress through to the lucrative group stage.
The Venoms will host the first leg, which will take place between 7-9 October, before visiting Lubumbashi for the return leg a week later.
The venoms are bidding to become the second club from Uganda to qualify for the CAF Champions League group stages after Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA FC in 2018. But if they fail the Mazembe hurdle, they will drop to the CAF Confederation Cup playoff round.
