KCCA FC must win

What you need to know:

  • Soccer. Only a win for coach Mike Mutebi’s charges will suffice at the StarTimes Stadium in Lugogo today after playing out a goalless with Ethiopia’s St George draw in the first leg game.

KAMPALA.

For the second season running KCCA have given themselves a great opportunity of becoming the first ever Ugandan side to make the lucrative groups stages of the Caf Champions League.
Having failed against then title holders Mamelodi Sundowns last season, Ethiopian side St George are the opponents this time round after they ejected Malagasy side CNaPS on the away goals rule after a 2-2 aggregate score.
Only a win for Mike Mutebi’s charges will suffice at the StarTimes Stadium in Lugogo this evening with the two teams having played out a goalless draw in the first leg.

Good chance
“My team is currently playing at 45 per cent which gives me an impression that we have 55 per cent chance of progressing to the group stages at the expense of St. George,” Mutebi told SCORE in the lead up to the game.
Striker Derrick Nsibambi is expected to again lead the line despite not finding the back of the net in the subsequent games since his away goal against CNaPS in the previous round.
Mutebi then has a decision to make on whether to partner him with Muhammad Shaban or stick with Paul Mucurezi, scorer of the winner in the previous round.
Schemers Muzamir Mutyaba and Allan Okello will then be asked to probe for openings in the visitors’ team that should include country-mate and goalkeeper Robert Odongkara (inset below) and midfielder Abebaw Butako.
Mutyaba is expected to give KCCA more coherence, having struggled to dominate the home tie against CNaPS and in the league game against Soana until he was brought on.

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Going for victory
“We have come here for nothing but a win and it’s possible,” St. George’s Portuguese coach Vas Pinto warned upon arrival on Thursday afternoon.
Unlike KCCA, the Ethiopian side is more established on the continent, having made six consecutive appearances in the competition which culminated into last season’s group stage appearance.
Progression to the 16-team groups stage will also leave the winner with a minimum bank balance of Shs1.9b for making the Caf Champions’ League group stage while the loser will enter a playoff to enter the Confederation Cup Group stages.

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
First Round Return Leg - Today
KCCA vs. St. George
*First Leg ended 0-0
4pm, StarTimes Stadium.

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