We came from behind to earn a well-deserved point on the road against Vipers SC, with Warren Buule’s 75th-minute bullet header cancelling out Milton Karisa’s early opener in a hard-fought StarTimes Uganda Premier League encounter at St. Mary’s Stadium.
The Diehards showed great character to battle back after trailing at the break, extending our unbeaten run and frustrating the hosts who were unable to claim all three points despite an early lead just seven minutes into the game.
Team news
KB made no changes to the Starting XI that got the job done on Friday, sticking with a tried-and-tested lineup to face the challenge away from home however, before the hour mark, he had already made 2 changes.
The match breakdown
The hosts started brightly and took the lead in the seventh minute when Karisa Milton rushed onto a beautiful breakthrough pass from Karim Watambala to slot home past our defence.
We responded well, and in the 13th minute, Rashid Kawawa whipped in a dangerous cross from the left, but Vipers goalkeeper Mudekereza stood tall to deny the opportunity. An early tactical change came in the 18th minute when Daniel Shabene was forced off, paving the way for Shamir Kimwero to enter the fray bringing stability to the midfield.
Two minutes later, Pius Obuya tried his luck from range, but his effort sailed just over the bar. In the 25th minute, another substitution was required as Joseph Dhata replaced Rashid Kawawa to bring stability on the right flank.
NEC continued to defend resolutely, with Warren Buule making a timely slide in the 32nd minute to clear the danger and keep the deficit to one. The Diehards pushed forward in the 37th minute, but Kagawa was caught offside, with his effort drifting wide anyway. Ibrahim Kiyemba picked up a yellow card in the 42nd minute for a late challenge.
We went close to an equaliser in the 44th minute when Richard Basangwa’s effort was cleared away at the last moment. One minute of additional time was signalled at the end of the first half, and the teams went into the break trailing 1-0.
The second half began with a change as Hakim Wandera replaced Ibrahim Kiyemba in the 46th minute sending Gideon Odongo to pair with Warren Buule in the central defence, Musa to the right as Wandera went to his preferred left back.
Gideon Odongo was booked in the 58th minute for a foul. A double substitution in the 71st minute saw Kagawa Ssenoga make way for Innocent Media, while Emmanuel Kulanga replaced Pius Obuya, injecting fresh energy into the attack.
The changes paid off in the 75th minute when Joseph Dhata started the move from a corner, Emmanuel Kulanga delivered a pinpoint cross, and Warren Buule unmarked, powered in a bullet header to level the scores at 1-1. Innocent Media received a yellow card in the 78th minute.
We nearly took the lead in the 81st minute when Shamir Kimwero unleashed a long-range stunner, but it hit the side netting. Ibrahim Musa was booked in the 85th minute.
Three minutes of additional time were added in the 90th minute, but neither side could find a winner.
It was a hard-fought and earned point on the road for us, showcasing our diehard spirit in a gritty performance against strong opposition. The team also exhibited glimpses of what KB is tutoring the boys.
Linqsoft Aluminium Man of the Match
What a night under the lights at St. Mary’s Kitende! In a hard-fought 1-1 draw against league leaders Vipers SC, Warren Buule delivered a performance for the ages, capping off his display with his maiden goal in the green and white. Ladies and gentlemen, your Linqsoft Aluminum Man of the Match – Warren Buule!
What next
We shall be heading into the Uganda Cup Round of 32 with draws set for tomorrow to find out who we shall be paired with for this encounter.
Watch Coach KB’s post match presser.