Jamal takes first stride for Uganda goalkeepers

What you need to know:

Robert Odongkara, the other of the three Uganda Cranes’ goalkeepers at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, is likely to feature for St. George.
The KCCA custodian saved two penalties and converted the winner to lift his team past Egypt’s El Masry to qualify for the group stage for the first time.

Kampala. Denis Onyango did elevate Ugandan football and the endangered species that goalkeepers are when he won the Caf African Player of the Year (based in Africa).
That award, received in Nigeria back in January, was the icing on Mamelodi Sundowns’ cake after winning their first Caf Champions League title last year. Now, one of Onyango’s Uganda Cranes understudies Salim Jamal, will take first strike as the group stage of the 2017 Caf Champions League kicks off tonight.
Jamal’s Al Merrikh face fellow Sudanese side Al-Hilal Omdurman in the group A opener away at the Al-Hilal stadium in the capital Khartoum.

This group also has 2007 African champions Etoile du Sahel and Mozambican novices Clube Ferroviário da Beira.
Al Merrikh’s best performance in the Africa’s premier club competition came in 2015 when they reached the semifinals, losing to eventual winners TP Mazembe.
Jamal was part of that run and must be hoping for an improvement before Onyango and his mates start their title defence against Ethiopia’s St. George.

Robert Odongkara, the other of the three Uganda Cranes’ goalkeepers at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, is likely to feature for St. George. He shares a locker room with midfielder Yasser Mugerwa. After the goalkeeping trio have made their ‘saves’, Uganda league champions KCCA will make their group stage debut tomorrow.
KCCA face Moroccan side FUS Rabat in Caf Confederation Cup group opener. They are here because of the exploits of another Ugandan goalkeeper in Benjamin Ochan.
The KCCA custodian saved two penalties and converted the winner to lift his team past Egypt’s El Masry to qualify for the group stage for the first time.