Vipers Coach Sparks Debate After Brutal SC Villa Verdict Following Title Win

Vipers SC's title-winning head coach, Ivan Jacky Minnaert, has publicly criticised the quality of football played by rivals SC Villa under their Serbian manager, Zeljko Kovacevic.

In an interview with NTV Uganda's Gystin Angarukiremu, the Belgian coach, who recently guided Vipers to their eighth league championship, dismissed the Jogoos' style of play.

The veteran tactician claimed their effective periods in a match are limited to just the opening minutes.

"Everyone has focused on the last games, but nobody was talking about the games before," Minnaert stated.

"In the last eight or nine matches, we struggled to score, but we still maintained a positive goal difference."

"Football is about scoring. You can say that Villa plays nice football, but they only play for two ten-minute periods…the first ten minutes of the game and then again after halftime. Is that nice football? No. KCCA has good players, but do they know what it's like to play nice football?"

Despite Minnaert's assessment, many observers consider Villa to be one of the more entertaining teams under Kovacevic.

The Serbian coach has been credited with the development of key players like Najib Yiga, Aslam Ssemakula, and Hassan Mubiru during his first year with the record league champions.

SC Villa has also enjoyed a successful cup run and is set to face Kitara FC in the Stanbic Uganda Cup final on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru.

This marks the Jogoos' first appearance in a major final since 2015, when they defeated KCCA FC 3-0 in a replayed final at Namboole, with goals from Augustine Nsumba, Abdul Karim Kasule, and Yesseri Waibi.