Karisa rallies Vipers: We have to pick ourselves up
Vipers captain Milton Karisa has challenged his teammates to pick themselves up, learn from their costly mistakes and fight for a positive result when they face FC Nouadhibou in the CAF Champions League return leg in Nouakchott, Mauritania. The Venoms were held to a 1-1 stalemate in the first leg at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende, […] The post Karisa rallies Vipers: We have to pick ourselves up appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
Black News 
Vipers captain Milton Karisa has challenged his teammates to pick themselves up, learn from their costly mistakes and fight for a positive result when they face FC Nouadhibou in the CAF Champions League return leg in Nouakchott, Mauritania.
The Venoms were held to a 1-1 stalemate in the first leg at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende, leaving the Ugandan champions with little room for error in the decisive return.
Karisa, however, refuses to let the draw dent Vipers’ confidence.
“We have really tried, but few mistakes on the pitch cost us to concede and we have had a good experience for the return leg. Every day we get better; even when we meet them again today or tomorrow, I urge my fellow players that we stay motivated.”
For the Vipers skipper, the first leg was less a setback than a lesson.
“It is a learning moment for us. We have to pick ourselves up, remain motivated and focus on the return leg. We know what is at stake and we have to believe that we can get a positive result in Nouakchott.”
That belief will be tested in hostile conditions at Stade Cheikha Ould Boidiya, where Vipers must produce a significantly stronger display to keep their Champions League group stage dream alive. The return leg is scheduled for Saturday, September 13, with kick-off at 5:00 pm GMT (8 pm, EAT).
The Denis Lavagne-coached side have already settled in Mauritania after their long journey and have little time to mourn the first-leg result but to turn the lessons from Kitende into action in Nouakchott.
The Venoms have endured mixed fortunes at the preliminary round stage over the years.
They were eliminated by Nigeria’s Enyimba FC in 2016, but progressed against Al-Merrikh SC of Sudan in 2018-19 before falling in the next round.
Al-Hilal Omdurman ended their 2020-21 campaign at the preliminary stage, while Vipers produced their biggest continental run in 2022-23, overcoming Olympic Real de Bangui and TP Mazembe to reach the group stage.
They faced Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy in 2023-24 and African Stars and Power Dynamos in 2025-26.
Now, Karisa wants that experience to count, and the mistakes in Kitende must not be repeated in Nouakchott.
Goalkeepers
Loyce Mbaba, Denis Kiggundu
Defenders
Hilary Mukundane, Kevin Dasyilva, Ashraf Mandela, Princewill Tarabina, Jacques Mangoba, Nicholas Mwere
Midfielders
Karim Watambala, Patrick Mbowa, Marvin Youngman, Joel Sserunjogi, Odili Chukwuma, Farouk Miya, Usama Arafat
Forwards
Yunus Sentamu, Milton Karisa, Gusto Mulongo, Cesar Manzoki
The post Karisa rallies Vipers: We have to pick ourselves up appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
