Vipers SC climbed to the summit of the Uganda Premier League table after battling to a 1–1 draw against NEC FC on Friday night at MTN Omondi Stadium, Lugogo.
The point pushes Vipers to 17, level with KCCA FC and SC Villa, but the Venoms take top spot thanks to a superior head to head. NEC, meanwhile, move into ninth place on 11 points.
The opening half was tight and cagey, with both teams cancelling each other out until the 21st minute.
Innocent Media was brought down inside the box, and Mustafa Kizza stepped up to convert from the spot, giving NEC a deserved 1–0 lead.
Vipers struggled to create meaningful chances in the first 45 minutes, and were forced into an early change when Milton Karisa replaced Tadeo Lwanga shortly before halftime.
Barely five minutes after the restart, the substitute made an immediate impact.
Milton Karisa struck in the 50th minute to level matters at 1–1, swinging momentum back in Vipers’ favour.
The intensity of the match grew, with a series of bookings issued NEC’s Joseph Seremba, Paul Mucureezi, and Warren Buule all seeing yellow, while Vipers’ Hillary Mukundane was also cautioned late on.
Both coaches rang in multiple changes in search of a winner, but neither side could find the decisive goal as the match ticked into four minutes of added time.
