Vipers SC held off a spirited second-half charge from Maroons FC to secure a hard-fought 2–1 win in a lively Uganda Premier League showdown on Saturday night.
The hosts burst into life immediately after kick-off, stunning Maroons with two quick-fire goals inside the opening eight minutes. Yunus Sentamu pounced with barely a minute played, finishing off Vipers’ first attack of the night, before Usama Arafat doubled the lead with a brilliant solo strike that left the visitors back-pedalling.
With the champions in full control, Maroons relied heavily on goalkeeper Tamale Simon, who produced a string of superb saves to keep the score respectable as Vipers squandered several chances _Mark Yallah among those denied. Yallah was later replaced by Allan Okello after picking an injury.
The second half brought a twist. Maroons grew in confidence, pushing Vipers deeper and finally earning their reward in the 58th minute when Hilary Mukundane turned the ball into his own net while attempting to clear. The goal ignited the visitors, who pressed aggressively for an equaliser and came close on several occasions, only to be kept out by Vipers’ resilience and sharp goalkeeping.
Vipers introduced fresh legs— Milton Karisa, Marvin Youngman, Isaac Ogwang, and Odili Chukwuma—as they attempted to regain momentum, but Maroons continued to threaten until the very end. Despite late pressure, the home side defended their narrow advantage to claim all three points.
The victory saw Vipers move to nine points in the seventh position, four above 14th placed Maroons. Vipers have four games in hand. Police and KCCA FC are joint top in the league standings but Police have a better goal difference.
