Unchartered waters

KAMPALA.

Four Ugandan clubs including SC Villa, Express, KCCA and Simba have, of course, been here before.

So as KCCA face Morocco’s Fus Rabat at midnight, it is important to recall that actually, Simba and SC Villa even went all the way to the 1972 and 1991 African Cup of Champions Clubs - now Champions League - finals respectively, while Express reached the semifinals in 1995.

Then called KCC, the Lugogo side were also twice quarterfinalists in 1978 and 1982 Champions Leagues, and made the last eight of Caf Cup Winners’ Cup, now Confederation Cup, three years later. Yet it is also true that this is the first time any Ugandan club is reaching the group stage of any continental competition since the current format was adopted in 1997.

Since then, it has been a period of mediocrity, with again only KCCA coming close in 2009. But there has recently been a feeling of déjà vu, with KCCA breaking that barrier. Angola’s Primeiro de Agosto and Egypt’s Al-Masry were the victims of KCCA’s wake, while the Ugandans also gauged themselves against African champions Mamelodi Sundowns before dropping to the Confederation Cup. Little wonder that KCCA manager Mike Mutebi believes they can now live with the best, but that they must first prove it in the six upcoming group matches, starting tonight.

“We have trained these players to believe in themselves, and we are preparing them to approach the game with a lot of tactical discipline because it’s important,” said Mutebi, “Very important if we are to pick a result from Morocco.” With the experienced Benjamin Ochan and skipper Denis Okot not travelling because of suspension, Douglas Kisembo should continue in goal and Denis Rukundo at right back.

Mutebi is expected to hand new acquisition Saddam Juma his debut in the middle of the park, while Geoffrey Sserunkuma and Derrick Nsibambi are expected to look for goals.

Fus Rabat will hope KCCA arrive for the game in SC Villa’s shape. The Moroccans smashed Villa 7-0 in the same competition the last time a Ugandan club visited last year.

Abdessalam Benjelloum, scorer against Villa in the said match, is one of the side’s players Mutebi’s men will have to watch.
KCCA will also be buoyed by the fact that they arrive as Ugandan kings while almost-deposed Moroccan champions, Fus Rabat, are fifth and a massive 17 points behind leaders WAC Casablanca.

KCCA PROBABLE XI
Douglas Kisembo, Denis Rukundo, Paul Musamali, Timothy Awany, Habib Kavuma, Isaac Muleme, Isaac Kirabira, Tom Masiko, Brian Majwega, Geoffrey Sserunkuma, Derrick Nsibambi
Subs: Charles Lukwago, Mustafa Kizza, Saddam Juma, Ivan Ntege, Lawrence Bukenya, Noel Nasasira

CAF CONFEDERATION CUP
Group A Fixtures (Sunday)
Fus Rabat vs. KCCA, MIdnight
Complexe Sportif Moulay al Hassan, Rabat
Club Africain vs. Rivers United 20:00hrs
Stade Olympique 07 Novemre Rades, Tunis