Vipers SC defender Hillary Mukundane has conceded that tension is running high across all levels of the club following their frustrating 1-1 draw against FC Nouadhibou at St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende, but insists the Venoms still hold their CAF Champions League fate in their own hands.
The central defender put Vipers ahead to trigger wild celebrations at Kitende, only for the Mauritanian champions to level matters and snatch a crucial away goal by Sidi Ahmed Mohamed.
“I was happy for scoring, but when they equalised, I was so sad,” Mukundane admitted after the match. “That is football; we shall go with that score in the second leg because we still have a chance away from home.”
The result leaves Vipers facing a daunting task in the return fixture in Nouadhibou, where only a score draw of two goals or more, or an outright win, will guarantee passage to the lucrative group stage.
Mukundane made no secret of the mounting anxiety within the club camp following their failure to secure a home advantage, admitting that the entire setup felt the weight of the result.
“There is pressure right from the players, the technical team, and the management. Even after the game, we were not happy because we wanted to win at home,” Mukundane revealed.
Despite the setback, the Venoms’ backline anchor remains confident that the technical team will fix their tactical glitches before embarking on the trip to Mauritania.
“We shall try to rectify our mistakes so that we are a better side in the second half [of the tie],” he promised, before delivering a rallying call to the Venoms faithful. “We call upon our fans to stick with us as we continue to fight in the next game.”
Vipers now have a week to iron out their defensive lapses and sharpen their frontline before travelling to face Nouadhibou in what has now become a high-stakes, must-win battle away from home.
