Raja Club Athletic of Morocco humiliated Vipers Sports Club 5-0 to put an end to their great debut in the CAF Champions League.
The majority of Venoms supporters’ eagerly anticipated day did not go as planned as the defending Uganda Premier League Champions were defeated by the Moroccan giants, who took all three points.
The powerful Raja Club Athletic won the opening game of Group C in a match played at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca thanks to goals from Hamza Khabba, Jamal Harkass, Roger Aholou, Yousri Bouzok, and Mohamed Zrida.
With two quick goals in the first eleven minutes, the three-time CAF Champions League champions were ruthless from the outset, putting more pressure on the Venoms players.
The goalkeeper Alfred Macumu Mudekereza made a mistake by failing to stop Khabba’s header, which gave the hosts the lead after just five minutes.
Six minutes later, Raja Casablanca got their second through Harkass’s rebound inside the box from a loose ball gifted by Vipers’ short stopper Mundekera.
Through Zrida, who scored with a first-time shot in the 38th minute after a well timed cutback from Harkass found him well-positioned in the box, the hosts were able to double their lead before halftime.
Following the half, Vipers gave up two more goals to St. Mary’s Kitende-based club, through strikes from Bouzouk and Roger Aholou in the 59th and 70th minutes, respectively.
Martin Kizza’s painfully laborious shot at the goal for the Venoms in the 85th minute struck the crossbar.
The Venoms will be hoping to bounce back from this heavy loss when they take on AC Horoya from Guinea next weekend on 18th February at St Mary’s Stadium Kitende.
How they lined up
Raja Casablanca: Anas Zniti (C), Mahmoud Bentayg, Ismail Mokadem, Zakaria Habti, Jamal Harkass, Hamza Khabba, Roger Ben Boris Aholou, Mohamed Azrida, Mohamed Al Makahasi, Abdessamad Badaoui, Yousri Bouzok
Coach: Mondher Kebaier
Vipers SC: Alfred Mudekereza, Dissan Galiwango, Sentamu Siraje, Bright Anukani, Kizza Martin, Murushid Juuko, Hilary Panuel Mukundane, Ashraf Mandela, Abdu Lumala, Abdu Karim Watambala, Milton Karisa (C)
