KCCA to play North Africans

Kampala.

KCCA will have to contend with two more trips to North Africa this year, and another in Nigeria as Uganda’s sole continental representatives start their Caf Confederation Cup group stage journey next month.

The Uganda Premier League (UPL) champions, who dropped to the Caf Confederation Cup after defeat to African kings Mamelodi Sundowns in the supreme Champions League, were yesterday drawn against Tunisia’s Club Africain, Morocco’s Fus Rabat and Rivers United of Nigeria.

Manager Mike Mutebi’s men debut in the group stage of the Confederation Cup away to Rabat in Morocco on May 12-14 well aware that the last Ugandan club to visit last year, SC Villa, were pounded 7-0 following the Jogoos 1-0 win in Kampala.

KCCA’s encounter with Club Africain also brings back memories of the Tunisian side’s destruction of Villa in the 1991 African Cup of Champions Clubs (Champions League) final, drawing 1-1 in Kampala and surrendering 6-2 away.
Onyango meets Odongkara
Denis Okot, the KCCA captain, admits the challenge has just got trickier. “Our group is one of the toughest but we just have to assemble and put our house together so that we can fight hard to reach the quarterfinals.

“Although we have played a team from the Sahara (North Africa), I think Club Africain and Fus Rabat are better sides than Al-Masry.”

KCCA eliminated Egypt’s Al-Masry en route here. “So we need to read how they play so that we can get an answer for them.”

Elsewhere, the Champions League draw brought Uganda Cranes skipper Denis Onyango against his national team understudy Robert Odongkara as Sundowns were pooled alongside St George in Group C.

Onyango will also be facing his former club in Ethiopia’s St George. Esperance of Tunisia and DRC’s AS Vita complete the pool.

Uphill task

At the level of Caf Confederation group stage football, there are no easy games. It is certain that KCCA will be up against some of the continent’s most seasoned sides.

Fus Rabat:
The Moroccan club were founded on April 10, 1946. ‘Fath Union Sport’ is the name of the sports club which encompasses everything from Basketball to the game of Chess. Abdessalam Benjelloum, scorer against Villa last year, is one of the side’s stars. Fus Rabat are one-time Moroccan champions, six-time Coupe du Trône winners and 2010 Confederation Cup kings.

Club Africain:
Founded in 1920 in Tunis, they are best known for football but they also have handball and basketball outfits. Club Africain have 13 league titles and are former Champions League and Confederation Cup winners among several other accolades. They are mostly remembered in Uganda for beating SC Villa 7-3 on aggregate in the 1991 African Champions of Clubs final.

Rivers United
Formed by the merger of Sharks F.C. and Dolphins F.C. in 2016, the Nigeria Premier League side host their games at the 30,000 capacity Liberation Stadium in Elekahia. Rivers are currently third from bottom in their league after 18 matches played.

Caf Confederation Cup (Group A)

Fus Rabat
Club Africain
Rivers United
Kampala Capital Council Authority
May 12-14
Fus Rabat vs KCCA
Club Africain vs Rivers United