Early goal vital for Nkata’s URA

Soccer. A 25-man Coton Sport contingent was due in the country last evening. They will train at URA’s Gayaza ground today before having a feel of Namboole tomorrow.

Benson Ociti provided one of few URA complaints from their hard-fought goalless draw away to Coton Sport in Cameroon.

With the Cameroonians relentlessly pounding URA’s defence in the second half of the said Caf Champions League first leg encounter, the tax collectors broke free and Ociti was brought down in the area but the referee waved play on. Now Ociti and his mates have chance to put some wrongs right when they meet Coton Sport on Saturday at Namboole.

The striker knows a 1-1 draw will eliminate URA, which underlines the magnitude he will play upfront and his defence at the back. “Since we are playing at home, the ball is in our hands,” he said before the team entered residential training in Jinja, “We have to do the needful and eliminate Coton Sport. We also know it will not be easy but we have to work towards that.” “We have to be sharp upfront and defend well at the back but mostly get that vital goal first.”

URA coach Paul Nkata admitted all was left to play. “It’s still an open tie but now it’s in our hands,” he said.

The winners between Ivory Coast’s A.F.A.D and Diamond Star of Sierra Leone will host victors between URA and Coton Sport in the first round.
The round’s games are due March 15-17 with the return leg on April 5-7. Meanwhile, Caf have cleared the tax collectors new signings of defender Joseph Owino and striker Karim Ndugwa, who missed the first leg through lack of licenses, to play.

Eleswhere, Tanzanian referee Charles Mbaga has been appointed by Caf to handle the Saturday match.

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