St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende once again lived up to its billing as one of Ugandan football’s fiercest battlegrounds as Vipers SC and SC Villa fought to a lively 1-1 draw in their rescheduled Uganda Premier League encounter on Saturday.
From the moment the teams walked out, the air crackled with tension and expectation. The match wasted no time settling into its rhythm, both sides flew forward with ambition, intent on landing the first real punch.
Vipers carved out the earliest opening just four minutes in when Hassan Mubiru slipped into a dangerous pocket of space. But instead of firing at goal, he attempted a pass, giving Villa’s scrambling backline the chance to recover and clear their lines. The visitors then had their keeper, David Lukwago, to thank moments later; his sharp reflex stop in the seventh minute kept out Karim Watambala’s close-range effort.
A battling point.
Usama Arafat’s second Uganda Premier League goal of the season helped us to a 1-1 draw with SC Villa.
All of yesterday’s action in photos ⤵️#VenomsUpdates || #OneTeamOneDream || pic.twitter.com/moLmYPmaXF
— 𝐕𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 (@VipersSC) November 30, 2025
After an energetic but goalless opening half, the Venoms returned with greater urgency. Their best early second-half chance came in the 52nd minute, when Yunus Sentamu rose unmarked to meet a looping cross, only to send his header agonizingly over the bar.
Villa, growing in confidence, eventually broke through in the 67th minute. Kato Ssemayange delivered a pin-point cross that Frank Ssebuufu steered expertly into the far corner, silencing the home crowd and putting the Jogoos ahead.
Their lead, however, was fleeting. Five minutes later, Allan Okello sliced open the Villa defence with a sublime pass that found Usama Arafat in stride. The youngster made no mistake, guiding the ball into the net to pull the Venoms level.
The final stages were frantic, with both teams sensing a possible winner, but the scoreline held firm.
🤝 Points shared at St Mary’s Stadium
👊🏿 Onto the next, Venoms on Tuesday.#VIPSCV || #VenomsUpdates || #OneTeamOneDream || pic.twitter.com/bVcjTnOPBV
— 𝐕𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 (@VipersSC) November 29, 2025
The result nudges SC Villa into second place on 17 points, while Vipers remain fourth with 13 points, still holding three games in hand, a cushion that could become crucial as the campaign intensifies.
