Vipers SC and NEC FC are set to represent Uganda in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup respectively, but while NEC FC are tactically secure with coach Hussein Mbalangu holding a CAF A License, Vipers SC are in a coaching conundrum. Mbalangu, one of only 42 Ugandan coaches listed in FUFA’s CAF A License database, meets the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) new stringent licensing standards, positioning NEC FC favorably ahead of their continental campaign.
In stark contrast, Vipers SC’s coaching duo, John Luyinda Ayala and Fred Muhumuza, currently lack the CAF A License required for head coaches in CAF competitions. Though the duo sat for their CAF A exams, results are yet to be released, leaving the club in a technical limbo. While they remain under contract, Vipers SC is urgently seeking a qualified CAF A coach to guide the team in the upcoming tournament. The new hire would collaborate with the current team but assume official technical leadership during the continental fixtures.
Sources close to the club indicate that Vipers SC may lean toward a foreign appointment, repeating their previous strategy when a qualified international figurehead led the team. During their last continental stint, the club had to rely on goalkeeping coach Ibrahim Mugisha, who held the necessary license and served as acting head coach. With time ticking and regulations tightening, the club is expected to make a swift decision to comply with CAF’s updated coaching framework.
CAF’s updated requirements, effective from May 2025, mandate that all head coaches in CAF competitions must possess a CAF A License or an equivalent Pro License. Assistant coaches are required to hold at least a CAF B License. Coaches already under contract have a grace period until the end of the 2026/27 season to upgrade their credentials; however, any appointments made after May 4, 2025, must meet these criteria without exception.
Non-compliance carries serious consequences, coaches without valid licenses will be prohibited from registering as team staff or accessing technical areas during matches. As continental football inches closer, Vipers SC’s situation underscores the high stakes of meeting CAF’s new benchmarks. With NEC FC safely compliant and Vipers in a race against time, Uganda’s representatives are navigating different paths to the continental stage.
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