Uganda Premier League champions Vipers SC have parted ways with head coach Ivan Minnaert following the expiry of his contract.
The Belgian tactician leaves the Kitende-based club just weeks after guiding them to the 2024/25 Uganda Premier League title.
“The club appreciates Minnaert’s dedicated service and professionalism to Vipers SC and wishes him the best in his career path,” part of the club statement read.
Despite winning the league crown, Minnaert was unable to help Vipers retain the Stanbic Uganda Cup and also fell short of guiding the team to the group stages of the CAF Champions League.
The Venoms clinched the Uganda Premier League title with only one loss on record — a boardroom forfeiture after they declined to honour their fixture against Kitara while protesting the new league format.
In the Stanbic Uganda Cup, Vipers were eliminated by Kitara in the semi-finals on the away-goals rule after a goalless first leg in Hoima and a 1-1 draw at Kitende.
Minnaert’s only defeat on the pitch came in a 2-1 loss to Power Dynamos at Kitende in the CAF Champions League preliminary round, as Vipers were eliminated 3-2 on aggregate.
During his tenure, he registered 19 wins and 10 draws as Vipers successfully defended the Uganda Premier League title, securing their eighth league crown.
Winning the league is no longer enough
Vipers SC president Dr Lawrence Mulindwa is a trigger-happy man, largely because he is unwilling to settle for less.
A season earlier, after the co-coaching partnership of Fred Muhumuza and John Ayala Luyinda guided the club to both the Uganda Premier League and Uganda Cup titles, Mulindwa still wasn’t convinced.
On July 18, 2025, he appointed Belgian coach Nikolaus Minnaert as head coach, with Muhumuza and Luyinda reverting to assistant roles.
Minnaert arrived from Liberian Premier League side Fassell FC, whom he had guided to the league championship the previous season.
He came with an impressive résumé, decorated with successful spells across Africa, including stints at Al-Ittihad Tripoli, Mali’s Djoliba AC, Kenya’s AFC Leopards and Rwanda’s Rayon Sports, among others.
Mulindwa hoped the Belgian would be the man to lead Vipers back to the CAF Champions League group stages, a feat that has remained elusive since 2023.
Many coaches have come and gone at Vipers, including Alex Isabirye, who also delivered a domestic double. But at St Mary’s Stadium, winning trophies alone is not enough — failure to reach the CAF Champions League group stages often means a coach’s stay is far from guaranteed.
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