Six Vipers SC stars return positive coronavirus tests ahead of Al-Hilal clash - Reports

Vipers SC will reportedly leave for Khartoum on Thursday for the Caf Champions League second leg tie against Al-Hilal without six players.

According to Sports Nation, Karim Watambala, Milton Kariisa, Geoffrey Wasswa, Abraham Ndugwa and Livingston Mulondo have all returned positive Covid-19 tests and will be required to self-isolate meaning they will automatically miss the Sunday clash.

Watambala, Wasswa and captain Lwaliwa played in the entire game at St Mary’s Stadium when they were defeated 1-0 and their absence is set to complicate matters for head coach Fred Kajoba.

Ndugwa started the game and paved way in the second half while Kariisa was substituted in the first half. The Venoms would need at least a 2-0 win in order to book their position in the next round.

Kajoba is also set to miss Aziz Kayondo and Bobosi Byraruhanga who are still in Tanzania after successfully participating in the Cecafa U20 Championship that ended on Wednesday. They defeated reigning champions Tanzania 4-1 to claim the regional title.

Allan Kayiwa and Shaban Mohamad are injured and might miss the game.

After the home loss, coach Kajoba claimed some players were not at a level to play for the team as they were very poor.

"Poor first half, very good second half but now we have to go back to the drawing board and correct those small mistakes," Kajoba said in an earlier interview.

"In the first half, we didn’t play good football. I felt some of the players were below par in the first half and I thought they were not at the level required to play at Vipers."

Meanwhile, Al Hilal captain Abd Al-Latif Saeed picked three players, and one of them was Watambala, whom he claimed impressed and must be checked closely on Sunday.

“Three players caught my imagination. Shirt number 25 [Watambala], shirt number three [Galiwango] and the wide forward [Orit] who came on were brilliant,” Saeed said then.

“I think they were good on the day for their side and caused a couple of problems for our backline. We have to take notice of them for the second leg.”

The winner between Al-Hilal and Vipers will either face Asante Kotoko of Ghana or Nouadhibou of Mauritania in the next round.