Vipers Sports Club capped off a dominant domestic season with a convincing 2-0 win over rivals Kampala Capital City Authority FC (KCCA) to lift the Stanbic Uganda Cup on Saturday, as the newly built FUFA Stadium in Kadiba hosted its first official match.
Goals from defender Livingstone Mulondo and captain Milton Karisa sealed Vipers’ fourth Uganda Cup title, adding to previous triumphs in 2016, 2020 and 2023. The win also secured a domestic double for the Venoms — their second in just two seasons — after clinching the Uganda Premier League earlier this year.
The final marked more than just silverware. It was also a symbolic moment for Ugandan football, with the occasion doubling as the official inauguration of the Uganda Football Association’s new national facility in Rubaga Division, Kampala.
Vipers struck early. Mulondo rose highest in the fifth minute to head in a corner from Allan Okello, punishing KCCA for slack marking despite their early dominance in possession.
KCCA had opportunities to level before the break, with Emmanuel Anyama squandering their clearest chance in the 39th minute. The first half was otherwise physical, with three players — James Mubezi (KCCA), and Vipers’ Karisa and Derrick Ndahiiro — cautioned as tempers flared.
Joel Sserunjogi replaced Musitafa Mujjuzi after the interval in an effort by KCCA to regain midfield control. But it was Vipers who struck again. In the 55th minute, striker Yunus Sentamu pounced on a defensive lapse from Peter Magambo to double the lead with a composed volley.
Despite tactical substitutions from both sides — including the introduction of Derrick Nsibambi and Julius Poloto for KCCA — the momentum remained with Vipers. Midfielder Abdul-Karim Watambala came close to adding a third with a powerful long-range effort that grazed past the post.
Late in the match, Congolese forward Gusto Mulongo tested KCCA’s goalkeeper with a speculative 40-yard drive, while veteran right-back Nicholas Wadada entertained fans with a clever one-two before being fouled and substituted in stoppage time.
Referee Shamirah Nabadda brought the contest to a close shortly after, sealing a historic evening for Vipers SC and Ugandan football more broadly.
The match concluded with individual honours awarded. Vipers’ Watambala was named Most Valuable Player, while teammates Sentamu and Mulondo shared the Top Scorer accolade with four goals each. Mulondo also received the Best Defender award, and Denis Kiggundu was recognised as Best Goalkeeper. KCCA’s Arafat Usama Kizza — who impressed despite the defeat — was named Best Midfielder.
As the curtain falls on the 2023/24 season, Vipers SC reaffirm their status as one of Uganda’s modern football powerhouses — and FUFA’s new stadium sets the stage for the next chapter in the country’s footballing journey.
