The win is what mattered most, Vipers coach says after overcoming battle-hardened Gaddafi

Yunus Sentamu (L) and Milton Karisa (R) join Mohammed Saleem in celebrations after a goal | VIPERS

UPL The win is what mattered most, Vipers coach says after overcoming battle-hardened Gaddafi

Fred Mwambu • 09:51 - 18.09.2023

The Brazilian was under pressure as rumours suggested he was on his exit route after the club parted ways with two of his compatriots, Rodrigues Giancarlo and Luiz Otavio, barely three months after signing them following their early exit in the CAF Champions League.

Vipers Sports Club head coach Leo Neiva was relieved after his side overcame a tough resistance to beat Gaddafi FC 2-1 in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League in Jinja on Sunday.

Milton Karisa and Mohamed Saleem scored in the first half to give the Venoms an early advantage.

The Brazilian was under pressure as rumours suggested he was on his exit route after the club parted ways with two of his compatriots, Rodrigues Giancarlo and Luiz Otavio, barely three months after signing them following their early exit in the CAF Champions League.

His performance in the FUFA Super Eight worsened the situation as last season’s double winners finished sixth.

In the game, Gaddafi had a good show with speed and energy that earned Amos Kirya the man-of-the-match award as Vipers struggled to pass the ball, but Neiva says all that mattered was the win.

“The most important thing for us was the win, the three points,” Neiva told media after the match.

The defending champions toiled hard and would have gone down early in the game, but Gaddafi’s striking line slept on the job.

“It’s not very easy to play away, especially over here because they were strong, but we were able to manage the first half well.

“They started strongly in the first 15 minutes, but after that, we took control. They scored a penalty early in the second half, and the game became tough and hard for us with a lot of physical contact, but I congratulate my boys for the win,” Neiva added.

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