Vipers SC kept their Double dreams alive Friday evening, overcoming a resilient NEC FC side in a gruelling Uganda Cup quarterfinal that required a penalty shootout to separate the two sides.
After 120 minutes of intense, goalless action at PhillipOmondi Stadium, Lugogo, the Venoms emerged 4-3 winners on spot-kicks.
The victory ensures the defending champions remain in the hunt for silverware, though the physical toll of the encounter was evident as several players hobbled off the pitch following the marathon session.
Speaking to the press after the high-stakes encounter, Vipers head coach Ivan Jacky Minnaert praised his side’s resilience and insisted that the better team progressed to the final four.
”It was a well-deserved victory. I think we had more chances than they did,” Minnaert noted.
“It was not an easy game, but I am glad we won. It was a do-or-die and I’m happy we managed to win the game because it’s the most important thing.”
Despite the lack of goals in regulation and extra time, the match was far from dull.
Both sides traded blows in a tactical battle, but clinical finishing remained elusive, leading to the dramatic shootout where Vipers’ experience ultimately shone through.
The intensity of the do-or-die clash has left the Venoms with a mounting injury list. With the league title race also reaching its climax, Minnaert expressed concern over the physical state of his squad after the 120-minute hard work.
”It was a long 120 minutes of football. So we shall focus on conditioning and working with the players who seemed to come off the pitch with injury,” the coach added.
With the semifinals in sight, Vipers SC is refusing to get complacent. As the club chases both the Uganda Cup and the Premier League trophy, Minnaert emphasized that the celebration would be short-lived.
”We still have a lot to fight for, so we shall put this behind us and keep the fight and hunger alive,” he concluded.
