Ssentamu issues rallying Vipers cry ahead of Raja showdown

Vipers SC assistant captain Yunus Ssentamu | Photo Credit: Vipers SC Media

CAF CL Ssentamu issues rallying Vipers cry ahead of Raja showdown

Shafic Kiyaga 16:08 - 17.03.2023

And the Vipers assistant captain has talked up the importance of responding to that humiliating night in Casablanca with a strong performance against them at Kitende.

Siraje Ssentamu has issued a rallying call to his Vipers SC teammates to come out and show their true innate quality when they take on Raja Casablanca this Saturday at the St. Mary’s Stadium in Kitende.

The Venoms host the Moroccan giants in their penultimate CAF Champions League group game, with Raja Casbalanca already progressing to the knockout stage of the competition.

Vipers on the other hand, have their hopes of progressing hanging by a thin thread, as they are bottom of the group on only one point from four games.

Focus for the home side may not specifically be on trying to fight to reach the next stage, but to try and avenge their humiliating 5-0 defeat to Raja in their earlier meeting last month.

That defeat started a dismal run for Vipers, who have failed to win in any of their next seven games in all competitions, a run that spelt doom for former coach Beto Bianchi, who was sacked after only 58 days.

And the Vipers assistant captain has talked up the importance of responding to that humiliating night in Casablanca with a strong performance against them at Kitende.

“We are playing a giant in this group, they have won all their games, and that proves how good a side they are. But that only works to motivate us to know the kind of opponent we are coming up against,” Ssentamu said.

“We played them in the first game at their home ground, and it was really a very bad game for us, but we have to put that behind us now and have our focus on the game tomorrow.”

“It’s a game we want to show how good we are as a team, and I promise we are going to give all our best for the fans and for this club,” he added.

Meanwhile, Vipers new coach Alex Isabirye insisted that tomorrow’s game provides an opportunity for his players to show how much they have learnt from their earlier meeting.

“In the few days I have been here, I have tried to work on improving their confidence, and I know that they are a good group,” Isabirye explained.

“They played the first game, and they know how tough it is to play against Raja, so it is now about us to show that we can be at those levels as well, and I believe they can get a result.”

Vipers will be without forward Milton Karisa who is still out with a muscle injury he suffered during Vipers’ 1-0 loss to Simba at Kitende.

Abdul Karim Watambala joins his captain on the sidelines with a knock he suffered during their Stanbic uganda Cup Round of 16 victory over Wakiso Giants on Tuesday.