Sserunkuma: I won't celebrate if I score against Gor Mahia

IN DAR ES SALAAM

Vipers talisman Dan Sserunkuma says he will not celebrate should he score against his former employers Gor Mahia when the two teams face-off in the Cecafa Kagame Cup quarter-finals at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

The match kicks off at 4pm.

Sserunkuma’s lone strike against Sofapaka in October 2013 won K'Ogalo their first Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title in 18 years - and memories of the Ugandan celebrating wildly with the fans still lingers.

Sserunkuma, who joined Gor from Nairobi City Stars in 2012, went on to be the club top scorer in three consecutive seasons at K'Ogalo, Vipers being his fourth club since he left the Kenyan champions in November 2014.

The dread-locked striker’s sparkling form has seen him score two goals and an assist in three games at the Cecafa tournament on the back of winning the Ugandan Premier League golden boot on 17 goals.

“My job as a striker is to score goals and help my team win, we know Gor Mahia is a good team with experienced players and have won major trophies in the last four years but we are the champions back home as well,” Sserunkuma told Nation Sport after Saturday’s training session at Karume Memorial Stadium.

He added: “It’s a special feeling meeting them at such a stage having shared good memories before. It’s a team I like because everyone supported me very well during my stay with them. I will be nervous but I’ve to help my team win the game and in case I score, I will not celebrate in respect of the good moments we shared together.”

His coach Miguel da Costa has no special attention to the 16-time Kenyan champions, who last clinched the club championship 33 years ago.

“For me it’s a team like any other, if you come here to win a trophy you don’t pick whoever you want to face. We shall go into the match with same winning attitude and believe to progress,” said the Portuguese, who spent the last session in training taking through seven of his players through penalty shootout techniques.

Gor coach Dylan Kerr will rely on Uganda's Godfrey Walusimbi and Innocent Wafula for inspiration while Philemon Otieno will hope to replicate his scoring form in the last two games and help them advance.

The teams will head into extra time in case of a draw before penalty shootouts with a fourth substitution permitted in extra time as is the case in the ongoing Fifa World Cup.

Whoever progresses from this tie will meet the winner between Azam and Rayon Sports in the semi-finals slated for Wednesday.

FIXTURES

Gor Mahia v Vipers (National Stadium, 4pm)

Simba v AS Ports (National stadium, 7pm)