It’s Onyango v Odongkara

KAMPALA.

Robert Odongkara has always been in the shadow of Denis Onyango despite tracing the latter’s path from SC Villa to Ethiopia.
Odongkara joined Villa in 2008, three years after Onyango left for Ethiopia’s St. George.

The former moved to the ‘Horn of Africa’ in 2011 retracing the path taken by the Uganda Cranes custodian who left Ethiopia for South Africa in 2006.

Understudy
For a large part of the last 10 years, he has also been his understudy for Uganda Cranes while also getting through drills together under the tutelage of national team goalkeeper Fred Kajoba.

While he often watches Onyango on the bench, Odongkara could get to see his ‘close friend and compatriot’ from about 100 metres away.

Onyango’s Mamelodi Sundowns start their Confederation of African Football (Caf) Champions League title defence against his former side St. George at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa today in a Group C encounter.

Hefty prize
AS Vita of Congo and Tunisia’s Esperance complete the group in the expanded 16-team tournament whose winner will pocket US$2.5m (Shs9bn).

Sundowns will be seeking to become only the third side to retain the biggest trophy in Africa club football, a feat only Al Ahly (Egypt) and TP Mazembe (DR Congo) have managed twice each.

“It becomes difficult because every time we play out there [in Africa] and now everyone knows what we can do,” Onyango, also Africa’s best local player for 2016, said.
That is a long road ahead as the final doesn’t come until late October.

For now, it’s a tale of two Ugandan goalkeepers with St. George midfielder Yasser Mugerwa being relegated to a side-show role.
“Definitely (I’ll be facing my former club) but there is no room for sentiments,” said Onyango.

“We are all from Uganda, and playing (against) St. George will be emotional but for me it is business as usual at all costs, because they used to be my employers but now I am working at Sundowns.”

April’s finest
This week, Onyango was named ABSA Premiership Player of the month for April. On the contrary, Odongkara is only working his way back to fitness.

“I am still injured but hopefully I will be fit for the encounter (against Sundowns),” Odongkara said. “It will be exciting to play against a close friend and a compatriot.”

Elsewhere, the third Ugandan goalkeeper Salim Jamal was due to play for El Merriekh last night against fellow Sudanese side Al-Hilal Omdurman.

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
TODAY AT 7PM
Group Phase - First Leg
Sundowns vs. St. George
Lucas Moripe Stadium, Pretoria
LIVE ON SS SELECT