Kigali, Rwanda – Ugandan champions Vipers SC made a flying start to the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup, defeating Djibouti's Garde Républicaine 3-0 in the tournament's opening match and the first Group A fixture at Amahoro Stadium on Friday.
Former Uganda international Farouk Miya starred for the Venoms, breaking the deadlock in the 15th minute before doubling the lead in the 38th minute with a composed finish.
Vipers extended their advantage deep into first-half stoppage time when Abdu Karim Watambala found the back of the net in the 45+3 minute, capping a dominant opening 45 minutes for the Ugandan champions.
The Venoms controlled possession throughout much of the contest and created the better scoring opportunities, while Garde Républicaine improved after the break but failed to trouble the Vipers keeper.
The convincing victory sees Vipers collect the first three points of the tournament and move to the top of Group A ahead of the evening fixture between hosts APR FC of Rwanda and Kenya's Gor Mahia.
Vipers will now shift their focus to their second group match against Gor Mahia, while Garde Républicaine will be looking to bounce back when they face APR FC.
The 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup, running from July 24 to August 7 in Kigali, brings together some of the top clubs from the CECAFA region including South Sudan's Jamus SC as they battle for regional supremacy.
