Vipers Sports Club has appointed former Arua Hill SC head Coach Charles Livingstone Mbabazi as their new Head Coach on a two-year employment contract.

The Kitende-based club announced on Monday, barely two weeks since they parted ways with Brazilian Coach Leonard Martins Neiva

“Vipers Sports Club is delighted to welcome Charles Livingstone Mbabazi as our new head coach, joining us on a two-year employment contract,” they said in a statement.

The 43-year-old takes charge of the team immediately ahead of Wednesday’s encounter against NEC FC at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.

Mbabazi takes over from Neiva, who left about a fortnight ago. Neiva’s departure was prompted by mounting frustration within the club’s management, primarily due to the team’s disappointing performance, notably defeats against major rivals KCCA FC and BUL FC.

Additionally, Neiva oversaw an unsuccessful CAF Champions League campaign, where Vipers were eliminated in the first preliminary stage by Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy.

Mbabazi’s immediate task will be overseeing a turnaround of events at the club, having suffered two successive league defeats against BUL, and Express FC respectively which saw the Vipers move to fourth on the table with 24 points in 13 games.

Mbabazi who has been with Arua Hill for the last two seasons helped them finish fifth and fourth in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns, respectively. But he left the club in total shambles which saw them lose 7-1 to Kitara a few days ago, in a game when Arua Hill only managed to parade eight players on the field.

He joins Vipers with a vast experience that has seen him coach several Uganda Premier League clubs including Wakiso Giants FC, Onduparaka FC, Mbarara City FC, Soltilo Bright Stars FC, Lweza FC, and Masavu among others.