Power Dynamos held their nerve in a taut, tactical night at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, grinding out a 1-1 draw with Vipers SC on Friday to seal a 3-2 aggregate triumph and extinguish the Ugandan champions’ continental hopes.
The tie was decided in a cagey first half that rarely threatened spectacle with both sides cautious, neither willing to gift the opponent a decisive opening.
The deadlock was finally cracked in the 68th minute when Moses Shumah rifled home, a clinical strike that extended Dynamos’ aggregate cushion to 3-1 and sent the home crowd into raptures.
Vipers replied with urgency and invention. Abdul Karim Watambala’s cool finish in the 80th minute re-ignited hope and briefly punctured the Zambian composure, but it proved a late lifeline rather than a turning point.
Despite a frantic final quarter of an hour, Vipers could not conjure the second away goal that would have dragged the tie into extra time.
Ultimately, Power Dynamos’ composed game management under pressure, defending intelligently and closing spaces when it mattered proved the difference.
Vipers will rue missed chances and the lack of cutting-edge across the two legs; pride remained, progress did not.
For Dynamos, the reward is a place in the CAF Champions League group-stage draw on Monday, 3 November 2025 and the satisfaction of a hard-fought, disciplined passage. For Vipers, the continental chapter closes with lessons to sharpen if they are to return hungrier next season.
