Bullish Odongkara warns KCCA

ENTEBBE.

The confident looks on St George players as they arrived at Entebbe Airport for their Caf Champions League tie tomorrow amidst a downpour showed that they have been through more challenging situations and overcome them.
They are here to secure progression after the first leg 0-0 result in Addis Ababa and looked every inch prepared for the gigantic task at hand against a KCCA side that has made Lugogo a fortress.
“We are here for business. We will fight and win as a team,” said their Ugandan-born shot stopper Robert Odongakara, who was the centre of attraction at the Airport.
The Uganda Cranes goalie though remains doubtful for the epic.
“I was injured even in the first leg. If I manage to get better soon I will be in goal but if I don’t, someone (deputy Lealem Birbu) else will do the job,” he told Daily Monitor at Entebbe International Airport.
The visitors are mindful of KCCA’s unbeaten record home in continental engagements but remain unfazed.
“Records are meant to be broken, if KCCA beats us it won’t be news but we are here as soldiers to do our mission.”
“We want to qualify and we want to work as a team,” Odongkara emphasised.
“It is emotional to play against a home team but you should know this is work, I can’t underperform because am playing a Ugandan team.”
Odongkara revealed he has a personal mission of impressing new Cranes coach Sebastien Desabre who summoned him for friendly matches next week.
St George checked in at Golden Tulip Hotel next to Golf Course and were set to hold a training session at StarTimes Stadium in the evening.
Their Portuguese coach Vas Pinto briefly talked about their determination to win the game to make it to the lucrative group stages.
KCCA will become the first Ugandan side to qualify for the group stages if they win tomorrow. A scoring draw, however, will see St George advance.
Last year, the Kasasiro Boys came within a whisker of eliminating tournament defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns at this stage but were undone by bizarre Mike Mutebi substitutions that were ultimately punished by a late Anthony Laffor goal for the South Africans.