Ugandan international and attacking midfielder Abdul Karim Watambala is on the verge of exiting seven-time Startimes Uganda Premier League champions Vipers Sports Club for Tanzanian giants Azam FC, Footy-Africa can exclusively confirm.
Watambala’s contract will run down on June 30th, and despite prior talks to renew with Vipers, Azam have emerged as the best candidates to sign him. A source at his new representing agency, Next Pro Sports, has confirmed the developments, indicating that Azam has tabled a two-year contract offer.
“His deal with Vipers is done, and while the club wants him to renew, the offer and terms from Azam are much better. The Tanzanians have already spoken directly to the player, and he is willing to make the move happen. The parties are signing the final details and it’ll be a done deal in days or even hours,” the source exclusively told Footy-Africa.
It should be noted that the 25-year-old midfielder has been at Vipers since 2019, when he joined from St. Mary’s Secondary School, Kitende, which is their feeder team. He has since played 172 across the Uganda Premier League, Uganda Cup, CAF Champions League and FUFA Super 8 tournament. Across that time, he has scored 18 goals and assisted on 24 occasions.
In his over six years at Vipers, Watambala has won four Uganda Premier League titles and three Uganda Cups. He was also a key player for the team, as they played in the group stages of the CAF Champions League for the first time in history in 2023. He was the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the 2024/25 Uganda Cup.
Meanwhile, at the international stage, Watambala has accumulated 14 caps for the Uganda national senior team, the Cranes. Previously, he attracted several summons with the national youth-level U-17, U-20 and the U-23 teams, playing in the 2020 U20 Africa Cup of Nations.
