Kitara FC will be welcoming Vipers SC to the Masindi Municipal Stadium on Sunday, April 14 for the first of their double-header. It will be the quarter-finals of the Stanbic Uganda Cup, and undoubtedly, it is the peak of the round.
However, this game comes at a time when there is divided attention for the two clubs. They are both chasing the 2023/24 league title and with the StarTimes Uganda Premier League slated to end next month, it is crunch time at the moment. There is little room for error on either front, beginning this weekend.
“It is indeed tough times for us right now,” Paul Mucureezi, Kitara’s attacking midfielder said. Following their 1-0 loss to NEC FC on April 4, Kitara has seen its lead atop the league table cut by the chasing pack, which includes not only Vipers, but Bul FC, and SC Villa, with whom they are in the title run-in.
Mucureezi noted that it was disappointing to lose to NEC. But ultimately, the responsibility is on them as the players. He explained: “We had good scoring chances, that were enough for us to win the game. But we did not utilise them. In the end, we paid the price for it. Now, we have the chance to redeem ourselves, beginning this Sunday, when we host Vipers.”
Yet even with that gutsy view from Mucureezi, he is not deluded to think that facing Vipers in the Uganda Cup will be easy. The league and cup double winners last season will inevitably give everything to protect their crowns. And for Mucureezi, who had success at Vipers between 2020 and 2022, is well aware of the kind of mindset they carry at this point.
He admitted that Vipers have good players. But more importantly, they have built a winning culture over the years. That makes them hard to beat. That said, Mucureezi believes that Kitara has no reason to be afraid of the pedigree Vipers has built over time.
The former Cranes international continued: “We must realize that we have an opportunity to make history with Kitara. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. We are now at a critical time of the season, where we must get tough ourselves. And trust me, forget about the Kitara you saw play against NEC. This time, there is no business being soft because the stakes are pretty high. We want to win, and we know we must do it the hard way.”
It is only the hard way that a team can win a league and cup double. The possibility of that for Kitara is within sight, and they will not need much motivation. Their destiny is in their hands. Yet, considering that Vipers drew with Villa on Tuesday, April 9 in the league, one should expect them to be fired up for this one, to get back to winning ways.
On the other hand, the Uganda Cup being a knock-out tournament, it does not provide for second chances. That should be enough to make it a highly competitive game. However, Kitara come into this game having rested for 10 days, which should mean that they are fresher than Vipers, who will have rested for 5 days since their last fixture.
In a nutshell, beginning with this weekend’s clash, followed by their meeting in the league on Friday, April 19, there is a grudge feeling about this fixture. One must not forget that following their league meeting in the first round in Kitende that ended controversially, with Kitara’s legitimate goal cancelled, which handed Vipers a 2-1 win, this is the game that Kitara wanted so badly, to exert revenge!
