Following a poor run in the CAF Champions League, Vipers SC will return to action in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League on Tuesday.
The Venoms will tussle it out with neighbours Wakiso Giants FC, at the St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende in what will be their first game in the second round of the 2022/23 league campaign.
Vipers enter this game after failing to win and score in any of the past five matches, cutting across three competitions including the league, Champions League and the Uganda Cup.
However, skipper Milton Karisa, who is cognizant of the current state of affairs, is optimistic the situation will change as along as the team keeps up the fight.
“It is a very important match because we come off two weeks with two very demanding games with no goals scored,” Karisa said.
“It will be a difficult game, against opponents who always perform at a very high level -and showed it in the first round.”
The two sides shared spoils in a one-all draw when they met in the first round at the Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium, with defender Hillary Mukundane finding the equalizer after Ibrahim Kasule had given the hosts the lead.
Affairs between the two are almost always close with four of the seven top-flight meetings previously, ending in stalemates.
The Venoms have won the other three including a 5-0 win in the last St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende bout, while the Purple Sharks are yet to master victory in the fixture.
Abdu Lumala is back in training but a doubt to face the Purple Sharks as he works to make his full comeback from a recent knock.
Midfielder Olivier Osomba is out of the game after suffering a knock in the hip in our last game against Horoya AC last weekend.
Too soon for Marvin Joseph Youngman who suffered a setback in his rehabilitation process and could be out for months.
