Uganda Premier League champions Vipers have pulled out of the 2025 CECAFA Kagame Cup, handing NEC a rare opportunity to represent Uganda on the regional stage.
The tournament, scheduled for September 2–15 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, will feature 12 clubs from across East and Central Africa.
NEC’s inclusion means the “Diehards” will not only test themselves against some of the region’s finest but also use the games as preparation for their historic debut in the CAF Confederation Cup later in September.
Vipers, under new head coach Ivan Minnaert, have opted to focus on intensive preseason preparations instead of the congested Kagame Cup schedule.
The Venoms are currently in Kigali, Rwanda, where they will face Tanzania’s Azam FC on August 29.
A significant factor in the withdrawal is the heavy involvement of Vipers’ players in recent international duty.
Eight of their stars, including Allan Okello, Karim Watambala, Hillary Mukundane, Enock Ssebagala, Yunus Sentamu, Marvin Youngman, and Denis Kiggundu, featured for the Uganda Cranes at the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Many of them have again been summoned for World Cup qualifiers in September, leaving the squad stretched.
“This is about striking balance. The Kagame Cup is prestigious, but Vipers cannot afford to burn out players ahead of the CAF Champions League and the new UPL campaign ,” a source close to the club told NBS Sport.
For NEC, this is a golden chance. The club, only in its third top-flight season, will now rub shoulders with some regional clubs such Rwanda’s APR FC, and Kenya Police FC.
Drawn in Group B alongside APR FC, who boast Uganda Cranes stars Dennis Omedi, Ronald Ssekiganda, and Hakim Kiwanuka, NEC face a tough test but one that could sharpen them for the continental stage.
The other teams in Group B are Bamamuru FC from Burundi and Mlandege FC of Zanzibar.
