Fus Rabat subject KCCA to sobering experience
Players exchange pleasantries before the game. Photo by Clive Kyazze
What you need to know:
- Soccer. On the pitch, Mike Mutebi and his players will hope they have picked lessons from
the purposeful football displayed by the Moroccans, who last year whitewashed SC Villa 7-0.
Kampala.
They left Kampala with the house seemingly in order, especially having travelled with the Azam Uganda Premier League (UPL) title sealed.
But KCCA walked onto the Complexe Sportif Moulay al Hassan in the Moroccan capital of Rabat early Sunday morning with little evidence of preparedness, their shirt sponsors on the front at the back blurred by two unsightly plasters.
It turns out they had not done enough reading on sponsor advertising on shirts for this stage.
Caf’s Article 34 on kit advertising says “starting from the group stage, a club may advertise for one single sponsor on the shirt of the playing attire.”
KCCA had Star Times on the front, Prime Media at the back and Britam on the left sleeve.
Saddam Juma, brought in from Express to bolster KCCA chances in the group stage, was also a no-show with no explanation. Sources say he had not got his license from Caf in time for the match.
If all the above made KCCA look unprepared, they were hardly equipped for the major task at hand, Fus Rabat tearing through them for a comfortable 3-0 first leg victory to top Group A of the Caf Confederation Cup with three points.
On the pitch, KCCA manager Mike Mutebi and his players will hope they have picked lessons from the purposeful football displayed by the Moroccans, who also last year ransacked SC Villa 7-0 in Rabat. Fus controlled the game from start to finish, going ahead inside the first eight minutes through Brahim El Bahri, with Yusupha O M Njie doubling the advantage on the stroke of half time and Karim Benairif sealing the deal on 80 minutes.
The visitors lived dangerously throughout, surviving countless counter attacks and enduring some of the most intricate passing, with right back Denis Rukundo suffering the most brunt.
He was later given a rest with the introduction of Noel Nasasira three minutes from full time.
“We conceded three goals, where we were carelessly giving away the ball in the central park but Fus was more organised,” conceded Mutebi.
‘Opening game not easy’
“They had a very professional approach of the game, tactically smart and everything we did careless they punished us. So the best team won.”
The day’s captain in the absence of suspended Denis Okot; Habib Kavuma, said: “The first game in the group is not easy but we just have to work on our mistakes and capitalise on our games at home.”
First choice goalkeeper Benjamin Ochan (suspended), midfielders Paul Mucureezi, Muzamiru Mutyaba (injured) and Allan Okello (school duty) are the others players that missed the trip.
Results
*Fus Rabat 3-0 KCCA
*Club Africain vs Rivers United
(was due to kick off last night)
May 23
KCCA vs Club Africain
May 24
Rivers United vs Fus Rabat
Confederation Cup - group a
P W D L F A Pts
Fus Rabat 1 1 0 0 3 0 3
Africain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rivers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
KCCA 1 0 0 1 0 3 0
