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Unfortunately for new head coach Leonard Martins Neiva, he works with a team that wants to win all the time and is never satisfied.
On Saturday night, Vipers SC defeated Jwaneng Galaxy FC of Botswana 2-1 but exited the CAF Champions League Preliminaries.
Having lost 2-0 in Botswana, the Venoms required to win 2-0 and force penalties or even get a more comprehensive victory to progress to the next and final stage of the preliminaries.
But Yunus Sentamu’s first half brace was rendered useless the moment Jwaneng’s Gilberto Baruti converted a superb freekick in the 89th minute to give his side a 3-2 aggregate lead.
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20:33 - 26.08.2023
FOOTBALL Victory not enough as Vipers crash out of CAF Champions League Preliminaries
Yunus Sentamu then converted Vipers’ pressure into a goal, opening the scoring in the 30th minute before doubling the lead in the sixth minute of first half added time.
From that moment, the hosts needed to score twice to progress, and it was simply impossible, even with eight minutes added after the 90.
Unfortunately for new head coach Leonard Martins Neiva, he works with a team that wants to win all the time and is never satisfied.
Alex Isabirye, the man Neiva replaced, can attest to that. Even after winning the Startimes Uganda Premier and the Stanbic Uganda Cup to deliver the club’s first-ever double, the tactician was frustrated and ended up resigning after sensing that his sacking was inevitable.
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21:41 - 26.08.2023
FOOTBALL Vipers head coach criticizes Jwaneng’s style of play
But Kitende was silenced when Gilberto Baruti converted a well-taken freekick in the 89th minute to give Vipers a task too big to accomplish in the eight added minutes.
So, the start could not have been more challenging for Neiva.
From being bundled out of the FUFA Super 8 Tournament by BUL FC to now missing the chance to play continental football for a second year running, things are not looking good for the tactician.
The sight of Vipers Director Lawrence Mulindwa leaving his seat to head for the exit before the full-time whistle on Saturday must have caused a few shivers.
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12:10 - 20.08.2023
OPINION Morley Byekwaso should apologise to KCCA FC and football fans
It might be too early to judge, but the sight of young goalkeeper Anthony Emojong comfortably playing out from the back is quite refreshing and tells you about a team whose players have been empowered by the coach to enjoy playing the game.
The home side had just conceded, and the big man could not bear to watch on.
And as a man presiding over what is on the pitch, you must worry for your position, especially if you have been told about how things work in Kitende.
But what are the chances that a coach can be judged after three competitive matches? Ideally, those are not enough, but reality suggests that at Vipers, sometimes even winning has not been enough for coaches to keep their jobs.
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By missing out on continental football, Neiva will now be a dead man walking at Kitende.
Every game he goes into could be his last, and the task does not get harder.
The FUFA Super Cup clash with KCCA has now become a must-win for the Brazilian, and he will be looking to win something and buy himself some time at the club.
And when the new league season kicks off, all eyes will still be on Vipers and whether they are capable of defending the two trophies they lifted last season.
Vipers will, however, have to prove to the world that they have adequate knowledge of the coaches they recruit. Hiring and firing, more often than not, exposes a team’s recruitment policies.
Neiva penned a two-year contract in July, and it would be great to judge him at the end of his tenure rather than a few months into it.
If Vipers did due diligence before deciding that Neiva was an upgrade on Isabirye, it has to be seen now when the team is not getting the desired results. They must be ready to give him time to build something at St. Mary’s.
But it will be no surprise if we wake up one morning and the man is out of his job before completing five months.
Beto Bianchi was fired after two months, having been in charge of just six matches.
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16:52 - 26.08.2023
FOOTBALL FIFA bans Spanish FA Boss, Rubiales
Rubiales has been a figure of controversy and criticism over the past week, particularly following Spain's monumental World Cup win against England.
So, Neiva must have that on the back of his mind. Well, I’m sure he does. Coaches must have their bags packed and ready to move. That is the nature of their job.
But hopefully, the Brazilian gets enough time, at least more time than Bianchi and Isabirye.
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