Vipers SC are the 2025/26 Uganda Premier League champions.
The Venoms sealed the title with a game to spare after beating Maroons 3-0 in the penultimate match of the season at Wankulukuku in a game watched by club president Dr Lawrence Mulindwa.
Yunus Sentamu set the tone with a goal in the second minute before Usama Arafat and Karim Watambala added a goal each to complete a deserved victory.
Vipers needed nothing less than a win to confirm the title, and they delivered on a day when closest challengers KCCA FC were held to a goalless draw away to URA at Nakivubo.
The victory moves Vipers to 64 points, five ahead of KCCA FC, and they can no longer be caught on the final day of the season.
The Venoms have now won eight league titles, moving one ahead of Express FC on seven. SC Villa (17) and KCCA FC (13) remain the most successful clubs in the competition’s history.
Vipers, worthy champions
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.
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