KCCA surrender Cecafa trophy without a fight, Red Eagles soar higher

As Cecafa Kagame Cup holders KCCA packed their bags on Saturday, there remained firm hope that the trophy may return to Kampala – thanks to Express’ sizzling form.
The two Ugandan representatives produced contrasting fortunes in Dar es Salaam, a disparity that may not surprise many a football stakeholder.
In the yellow corner, everything went amiss for KCCA even before they jetted out to defend the title they had won impressively under Mike Mutebi in Rwanda in 2019. For two weeks, the club manager Morley Byekwaso and seven star players were away in Ethiopia on national team duty.
The detachment from the rest of the squad for the final preparations showed as KCCA gasped for synergy, sharpness and direction in all the group matches.
Having lost the opening match 1-0 against a depleted Azam, Byekwaso’s side rallied back to earn a laboured 1-0 win over KMKM from Zanzibar.
Just when the two-time Cecafa champions hoped for a routine mauling of minnows Messager Ngozi, they were instead shocked by the Burundians 1-0 on Saturday to suffer an early ejection.
For the upteenth time, a feeble defence, blunt attack, disjointed midfield and a goalkeeping dilemma pricked as KCCA barely put up a fight against Ngozi. The fact that KCCA scored only one goal in 270 minutes summed up their rustiness.
For Byekwaso, this was not their tournament and they had no ‘luck’.
“I’m not shocked that we were eliminated early. We have to sharpen our attackers, work on scoring the chances we create and being efficient if we are to get results in future. That said, we didn’t have luck at all,” Byekwaso said.
Express-ing title desire
In the red corner, the Express Cecafa jinx looks set to be quashed if the manner in which Wasswa Bbosa’s Red Eagles obliterated Yanga of Tanzania is anything to go by.
Forget the Express that was conservative in the 1-0 triumph over Atlabara and the 1-1 draw with Nyasa Big Bullets, this was an explosive side that left many inside the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium thrilled and hooked.
The Red Eagles raced into a 3-0 healthy lead courtesy of Muzamir Mutyaba, Godfrey Lwesibawa and Eric Kambale strikes before Yanga pulled back a consolation goal through Paul Godfrey.
“We had set the target of making the semis and here we are. We are going to be better in the semis even if we will miss Lwesibawa through suspension,” Bbosa told Daily Monitor.
The Ugandan champions play KMKM in the first semifinal tomorrow.

Cecafa Kagame Cup
SATURDAY RESULTS – Group A
Yanga     1 -3     Express
Nyasa B. Bullets    2-0    Atlabara
GROUP B
KCCA     0-1     Messager
Azam     2-3     KMKM
Semifinals - TUESDAY
Express     vs.    KMKM
Azam     vs.    Nyasa Bullets
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