With the finish line in sight, the Venoms cannot afford a slip, especially with second-placed Nec lurking five points behind and eyeing an easy three against bottom dwellers Mbale Heroes on Friday.
Haunted by last season’s 1-1 stalemate at the same venue – a result that derailed their title ambitions – Vipers know all too well the danger Luzira poses.
Though they edged Maroons 1-0 at Kitende in January, this fixture is no walk in the park. The hosts, coached by the amiable Muhammad Ssenfuma, have shown resilience against giants, drawing 3-3 with Wakiso Giants and edging Express 1-0 in recent home fixtures.
With Vipers boasting a red-hot frontline led by 16-goal talisman Allan Okello, a fit-again Milton Karisa, and midfield dynamo Karim Watambala, Ssenfuma insists his strategy isn’t about man-marking stars – it’s about caging the entire Venoms unit.
Maroons, the league’s first-ever champions in 1968, will however need to fix their own misfiring attack – just 25 goals scored all season – if they are to spring a surprise.
