Semifinals:
*Vipers Vs Bright Stars
*Police Vs Adjumani
Vipers have been pitted against Bright Stars in the Stanbic Uganda Cup semifinals following the draws held on Thursday at FUFA house in Mengo.
Police will meet Adjumani in an all FUFA Big League tie, in the other semifinal tie.
These ties will be played home & away, with winners on aggregate progressing to the final that will be held at Akii-bua Stadium in Lira.
Vipers and Police will host the first legs that will be played on May 14/15.
The return legs will be played between May 20 and 27.
Police and Adjumani will feel they got a fair draw after avoiding the two UPL sides.
And Police who eliminated the defending champions BUL, will fancy their chances against the Big League newcomers.
They still have UPL promotion on their minds as they sit fourth on the Big League table, a season after relegation from UPL.
Adjumani produced a master-class show to eliminate joint record winners Express with a 2-0 win, and with the side hosting Police in the second leg, a fairly tale run is still on the cards.
Vipers Chasing Double
Vipers sit third in the league, four points adrift of leaders SC Villa who have played three games more.
The team has regained their mojo since the appointment of coach Alex Isabirye and the confidence is back.
Uganda Cup triumph provides them with a chance to play on the Continent, CAF Confederation Cup to be specific, in case they fail to win the league which is a route to CAF Champions League.
Villa, Express and KCCA have won the double – League and double in one season – and the ambitious Vipers president Lawrence Mulindwa will be having eyes on writing his Club’s name in the book of elites.
Vipers lost the Uganda Cup final last year against BUL, a team they had beaten 8-1 in the 2021 final at Njeru previously.
With defending champions BUL, join record winners KCCA and Express, Villa and URA out, this is a genuine chance for the Venoms to win their third Uganda Cup title.
Their journey to this stage has been backed up by luck to some extent having needed shootouts to eliminate Bujjumbura United, Jinja North and Wakiso Giants.
They then blitzed past Calvary with a 4-1 win at the Quarterfinals to reach this stage.
But against Bright Stars, Vipers face a side that ain’t push overs and will fancy another run to Uganda Cup final after they were beaten by Proline in shootouts in 2019 final in Masaka.
Coach Asaph Mwebaze’s side started their Uganda Cup journey by eliminating Nakapelimen (Moroto) at the round of 64.
They ousted Mbale Heroes (32), Kiyinda Boys (16) before beating KCCA FC in what was the last game for the latter’s coach Morley Byekwaso who resigned just minutes after the elimination.
Vipers played a goalless draw with Bright Stars in the league in the first round this season at Kavumba, with the second meeting also due next month.
Uganda Cup prize money:
•Winner – 50 million (1 team)
•Runner Up – 25 million (1 team)
•Semi Finalists – 12.5 million each (2 teams)
•Quarter Finalists – 6 million each (4 teams)
•Round of 16 – 3 million each (8 teams)
•Round of 32 – 2 million each (16 teams)
*TOTAL – 180 million (32 teams)
Most Uganda Cup Titles
10 – KCCA, Express
9 – SC Villa
3- URA
2 – Simba, Coffee, Mbale, Victors, Vipers
1 – UEB, Nsambya Old Tymers, Victoria University, Proline, BUL
Uganda Cup Past Winners Since 2000
2000 – SC Villa
2001 – Express
2002 – SC Villa
2003 – Express
2004 – KCCA FC
2005 – URA
2006 – Express
2006/07 – Express
2007/08 – Victors
2008/09 – SC Villa
2009/10 – Victors
2010/11 – Simba
2011/12 – URA
2012/13 – Victoria University
2013/14 – URA FC
2014/15 – SC Villa
2015/16 – Vipers SC
2017 – KCCA FC
2018 – KCCA FC
2019 – Proline
2019/20 – Null and Void
2020/21 – Vipers
2021/22 – BUL
2022/23 – ???
