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Isabirye looms large over Red Eagles-Venoms clash
Coach Alex Isabirye will relish a chance toi get back at his former side. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
Jose Lopez is expected to team up with Raoul Lukusa, Baker Kasule and Richard Wasswa to form a temporary coaching unit to drive Vipers forward.
Express coach Alex Isabirye will finally get the long-awaited rendezvous with former paymasters Vipers this afternoon after their July bitter split.
You guessed right,Isabirye finds Vipers in circumstances that few could have predicted at this stage; without his successor Leonard Neiva who was shown the exit last week after an unconvincing 12-game stay.
The bitter pill to swallow for the second-placed Venoms is that they face a desperate coach who has a lot to prove after they fired him following a league and cup success last season.
"I took a break after the Vipers exit because it was too much for me. Express begged me to save them as a former player on a one month contract and decided to give it a shot, " Isabirye told Score.
That one-month contract included six matches - SC Villa (lost 2-1), Kitara (lost 1-0), NEC (won 5-2), Vipers (today), Arua Hill (January 3) and Gaddafi (January 6).
"I have finally got the grip of the team after losses to Villa and Kitara and I have now empowered young players like John Asiimwe, Eddie Ssebandeke and Steven Senfuma who are talented and thirsty to carry Express forward, " he added.
In doing so, three-time league winning gaffer wants to lift the seven-time StarTimes Uganda Premier League winners to move from 16 points from 12 matches in eighth slot into the top four and also move on from the James Odoch era.
Venomous vengeance
Isabirye has floored Vipers before as Bul, Sports Club Victoria University (SCVU,defunct) and URA boss and is not fretting at the prospect of facing the holders at Wankulukuku.
He helped Vipers break the double jinx and thus bagged his fourth Uganda Cup trophy as a coach.
"Vipers still has the best squad in the division although they have struggled at the start of the season (have 24 points from 12 matche - five points adrift of leaders Bul before Abbey Kikomeko's side hosted Busoga United).
"I know 95 percent of their players and the quality and experience they possess but I have told my boys that victory is possible at our backyard," Isabirye stressed.
With Neiva back in Brazil, compatriot
Jose Lopez is expected to team up with Raoul Lukusa, Baker Kasule and Richard Wasswa to form a temporary coaching unit to drive Vipers forward.
"I was lucky to have a united dressing room at Vipers that followed my instructions as we won the two trophies in three months. Any coach who doesn't respect senior players at Kitende and doesn't impose his authority on the overall team, is bound to fail instantly.
"That said, we expect just a few changes in their starting team but Vipers under the changed technical team will still be commanding and eager to win, " Isabirye revealed.
Triumph over Vipers will be a significant waypoint for what lies ahead for Isabirye and he has branded the explosive clash an 'emotional' one.
" I don't know what my bosses think about me at the moment but the onus is on me to paint a strong statement that I'm the long-term strategic coach Express is yearning for, " he vowed.
Centre referee Dick Okello has been assigned the duty of handling the fierce encounter that has seen Express win once in the last six meetings with Vipers.
Wounded Jogoos on trial
At the Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium-Wakiso, Dusan Stojanovic's SC Villa, with 19 points from 12 matches in sixth, will visit 13th placed Wakiso Giants seeking to heal the wound inflicted by KCCA at home last week.
Muhammad Ssenfuma's Maroons can go second on 25 points with victory over Gaddafi at the Prisons Ground-Luzira in the battle of the gunmen this afternoon.
SCORe
