Farouk Miya marked his return to Vipers SC in spectacular fashion with a brace as the Ugandan champions stormed to a 3-0 victory over Djibouti's FC Garde Républicaine in their opening Group A match of the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup at Amahoro Stadium July 24. Vipers delivered an accomplished performance from start to finish, dominating possession and creating numerous scoring opportunities against a Garde Républicaine side that struggled to match their intensity and quality. Their dominance paid off in the 15th minute when returning star Farouk Miya found the breakthrough, calmly finishing to give the Ugandan champions an early lead and spark celebrations among the travelling supporters. Miya, making his much-anticipated second debut for the club, continued to torment the Djiboutian side with his movement and creativity. The experienced forward doubled Vipers’ advantage in the 38th minute, completing a brilliant first-half performance and putting his side firmly in control of the Group A encounter. FC Garde Républicaine struggled to cope with Vipers’ attacking pressure and rarely threatened the Ugandan side’s defence. Whenever they attempted to push forward, Vipers remained well organised and disciplined at the back. Just when it seemed the first half would end 2-0, midfielder Abdu Karim Watambala added a third goal deep into stoppage time. The playmaker struck in the 45+3rd minute to cap a dominant opening half and effectively put the contest beyond the reach of the Djiboutian outfit. The second period saw Vipers manage the game professionally, controlling possession and limiting their opponents to few clear chances.
