Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) FC continued their resurgence under head coach Sam Ssimbwa Bamwenyana after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over struggling Vipers SC in an exciting Uganda Premier League encounter at Hamz Stadium on Saturday night.
The Tax Collectors claimed maximum points under the floodlights on a rainy evening, handing the defending champions another disappointing result and extending their difficult run in the 2026/27 campaign.
Captain Moses Aliro Okabo proved to be the difference between the two sides, scoring the decisive goal on the stroke of half-time to give URA a valuable lead heading into the break.
The victory marked URA’s second consecutive league win under Ssimbwa, following their 1-0 triumph over UPDF on Tuesday, signalling renewed confidence and improvement within the team since his arrival.
For Vipers, however, the defeat further complicated an already frustrating season. The Venoms suffered their third league defeat of the campaign and their second consecutive loss, having fallen 1-0 to Mbarara City in their previous outing.
Such a sequence of defeats is unusual for a side that has established itself as one of Uganda’s dominant forces in recent seasons.
Vipers pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages and came close to rescuing a point when second-half substitute Farouk Miya stepped forward to take a penalty. However, URA goalkeeper Khassim Hafizi produced an impressive save to preserve his side’s advantage and secure all three points.
Hafizi’s intervention proved decisive, ensuring URA maintained their momentum while leaving Vipers with more questions about their current form and attacking effectiveness.
The result also underlined the growing confidence in Ssimbwa’s URA side, who have now collected back to back victories without conceding, an encouraging sign as they seek to climb the league standings.
Elsewhere in Friday’s Uganda Premier League action, Kitara edged UPDF 1-0, Entebbe UPPC held BUL to a 1-1 draw, KCCA defeated Mbarara City 3-1, while SC Villa overcame Lugazi 2-1.
For URA, the immediate task will be to build on this momentum and turn their recent improvement into a consistent run of results.
Vipers, meanwhile, must urgently find answers to their growing problems as the pressure mounts on the Venoms to rediscover the consistency and winning mentality expected of a club of their stature.