Saturday, May 23
•Kitara 2-2 Police
•Calvary 2-0 NEC
•KCCA 4-1 Mbarara City
•Lugazi 0-1 Maroons
•Entebbe UPPC 4-0 BUL
•SC Villa 2-1 UPDF
•Vipers 2-0 Express
Vipers have been crowned champions of the 2025/26 Uganda Premier League.
The Venoms were presented with the title after their final game of the season, capping off the celebrations with a 2-0 victory over Express at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.
Karim Watambala opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Gusto Mulongo added the second in a comfortable win.
Vipers came into the match already confirmed champions after sealing the title on the penultimate matchday with a 3-0 away victory over Maroons at Wankulukuku.
They finish the campaign with 67 points from 30 matches, five ahead of second-placed KCCA, who ended the season on 62 points.
The triumph marks a successful defence of the league title they won last season.
It is also Vipers’ eighth Uganda Premier League title, further underlining their dominance in Ugandan football.
Vipers successfully defends crown
Vipers started the season as favourites following an impressive transfer window.
The club appointed Belgian tactician Ivan Minnaert, a UEFA Pro Licence coach with vast experience in African football following spells in Rwanda and Kenya.
They also retained the coaching duo of Fred Muhumuza and John Ayala, who guided the club to the title the previous season, with both now serving as assistants.
Among the notable additions to the squad were Usama Arafat, Enock Ssebagala, Kevin Da Silva Bady, Taddeo Lwanga, Robin Hney, Chukwuma Odili and Gusto Mulongo.
Vipers had some of their early fixtures postponed due to their involvement in the CAF Champions League preliminary rounds, where they were eventually eliminated before the group stage.
They also forfeited their fixture against Kitara at Namboole in protest against the then-new league format, which was later scrapped.
FUFA eventually awarded the points to Kitara, making it the only defeat Vipers suffered this season. The Venoms can still boast of being unbeaten on the field of play, with that loss coming via a boardroom decision.
Midway through the season, Allan Okello — arguably the team’s best player — departed for Tanzanian side Yanga SC in a lucrative move.
Several players stepped up in his absence, but none more so than Karim Watambala, whose goals and work rate proved crucial in the title run.
At the back, Da Silva Bady and Livingstone Mulondo formed a solid defensive partnership in a season where Vipers were not always prolific in attack.
The club’s Uganda Cup semi-final exit to Kitara came during a difficult spell in which they drew three consecutive matches.
Among those results was a 1-1 draw away to KCCA FC, where substitute Beyuku Monsi Glodi scored a late equaliser in a result that felt like a victory and denied KCCA the chance to close the gap further.
And when Vipers needed a win against Maroons to clinch the title, they delivered in style.
The match against Express came without pressure, it was one to mark their title celebrations.
And it was not a shocker when the coach named a much changed lineup that included debutants including Armour Munogera who put up a man of the match performance.
Veteran Dan Mzee Sserunkuma also came on for a season cameo while Abubakali Walusimbi and Rogers Torach had rare starts.
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