Crucial bend for KCCA
Young guns Okello (L) and Mustafa Kizza are vital cogs in KCCA campaign this term. PHOTO BY JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
- SOCCER. Proline coach Lule also says his team are equally set for their clash against Rwanda’s AS Kigali on Saturday in Caf Champions League’s younger brother, the Caf Confederation Cup.
The Angolans are in town, set. So are the hosts, KCCA, who will have to call on all their might at Lugogo tomorrow to get past Petro de Luanda in this very delicately poised continental encounter.
This Caf Champions League clash seeks to settle a contest that ended goalless in Luanda two weeks ago, a scoreline that is often deceptive in two-legged knockout football.
Petro de Luanda score and the atmosphere at and over Lugogo goes grim, for any score draw would be enough for the visitors to progress to the group stage on away goals rule.
Manager Mike Mutebi’s KCCA need nothing short of victory. A win of any kind and they will have made the group stage of the competition for the second time.
First team trainer Badru Kaddu and underage coach Jackson Magera oversaw a practice match between a side that featured mainly the regular starting X1 against the rest, with Mutebi viewing proceedings from some 50 metres away.
“Yes,” Kaddu told Daily Monitor, “It has to be. The most important 90 minutes of our season so far.
“We face a very good side and from the first leg you could see Luanda is very experienced and the players have been together for some time.
“They break using one wing and then switch play through the middle.” The said wing is mainly used through their danger man Ricardo Job Estévão.
“And when they lose possession,” added Kaddu, “Their recovery is good. They get compact very quickly.
“But we don’t expect them to open too much against us. Our boys are young but they are equally experienced at this stage.
“They are working hard and are looking forward to the game but like it was against St George when we drew goalless in the first leg in Addis Ababa before winning 1-0 here very late, I expect this one to go to the wire.”
Inspired by Allan Okello and Muzamiru Mutyaba through the middle, KCCA have no health worries. Instead, they welcome back Nicholas Kasozi from injury. The midfielder missed the Luanda trip with illness.
Lule’s troops ready
Elsewhere, Proline coach Matia Lule says they have worked without hitches this week and should be set for their Confederation Cup clash against AS Kigali at Lugogo on Saturday.
“All that is left is for our U20 boys Bright Anukani and Ivan Bogere to join us and we are good to go,” said Lule.
The above, together with KCCA pair of Sadat Anaku and Stephen Sserwadda, were due to join their respective teams after Uganda’s clash with Sudan in Cecafa U20 yesterday.
A goalless draw would be enough for Proline to progress to playoffs via away goals rule, from which the winner advances to the group stage. The tie in Kigali ended 1-1.
Advantage. Uganda’s two Caf representatives; KCCA and Proline managed to secure shared spoils in the opening legs of their campaigns.
UPCOMING CAF ENGAGEMENTS
CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - 2nd LEG
Tomorrow at StarTimes Stadium
KCCA vs. Petro de Luanda (0-0)
CAF CONFEDERATION CUP - 2nd LEG
Saturday at StarTimes Stadium
Proline vs. AS Kigali (1-1)
