Vipers SC strengthened their championship push with a polished 3–1 victory over BUL FC at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende, on Saturday night, producing a decisive second-half surge after a tightly fought opening period.
The first 45 minutes offered little separation. BUL, keen to arrest a three-match slide, set up with discipline and denied space, forcing a scoreless interval. Vipers’ best chance before the break fell to Livingstone Mulondo, whose header was sharply dealt with by goalkeeper Tom Ikara.
Off the pitch, attention briefly shifted to the VIP area, where Simon Peter Mugerwa was sighted amid talk of a possible backroom addition at Kitende, with assistant coach Fred Muhumuza currently away on AFCON 2025 duty with the Uganda Cranes.
The contest ignited immediately after the restart. Enock Ssebagala broke the deadlock just two minutes into the half, thumping home a spectacular long-range volley to lift the home crowd. BUL responded swiftly; Jerome Kirya bent in a well-taken free kick before the hour to restore parity and inject belief.
That optimism was short-lived. A contentious handball call swung momentum back to the hosts, and Karim Watambala kept his nerve from the spot to restore Vipers’ advantage. Soon after, Usama Arafat capitalised on a defensive miscue, delicately chipping Ikara to make it 3–1 and put daylight between the sides.
From there, Vipers managed the closing stages with assurance, introducing fresh legs and seeing out the result as BUL struggled to mount a response.
The win lifts Vipers to second on 21 points, two adrift of leaders KCCA after nine matches. BUL sit 12th with 10 points, the pressure intensifying.
Elsewhere in Yumbe, Calvary FC’s wait for a win extended to ten games. Ibrahim Dada had given them the lead, but a Stephen Oriokot own goal allowed Mbarara City to escape with a share of the spoils.
