Despite losing 3-0 away to FUS Rabat nearly a fortnight ago, Uganda’s representatives KCCA are in good spirits ahead of their second Total Caf Confederation Cup Group A match against Club Africain.
Coach Mike Mutebi’s side is thinking positive a few days after being crowned as Uganda Premier League champions for the second successive time. The cusp to landing their 12th title came after they beat Sadolin Paints 2-1 at the Phillip Omondi Stadium in Lugogo on Saturday thanks to goals from Geoffrey Sserunkuma and Tom Masiko. Mutebi acknowledges naivety and carelessness is the reason his team shipped in three away in Morocco. He further insists their league success can be measured on the continent. “The Caf Confederation Cup is the real test for these lads,” Mutebi re-echoed some of his statements. “We are happy to have won the league but our focus is now facing Africain,”
“This group of players has got the ability to dominate if we settle and remain organised,” he said. Mutebi welcomes back goal keeper Benjamin Ochan and captain Denis Okot who return from suspension. Mutebi’s opposite Chiheb Ellili revealed watching KCCA’s loss against Rabat and he hopes to force the hosts to err again. However, KCCA has got a decent home record where they won 14 of their 15 league games except the 2-1 loss to Vipers last month.
On the continent, KCCA beat Angola’s Club de Agosto and Egyptian side Al-Masry 1-0 each but were held by the Caf Champions League holders Mamelodi Sundowns 1-1 in front of the Lugogo faithful. “If you look at most teams, they are winning their home matches and it is what we want to do,” defender Okot said at the pre-match press conference on Monday. “So the game against Africain is a must-win match.”
Having scored in four successive games against Agosto and Sundowns in the Caf Champions League, Sserunkuma is yet to find the net in three Confederation Cup matches. He hopes to avert that after sealing the league scorers’ gong with 21 goals.
Club Africain, who lost to Moroccan outfit Maghreb de Fès in the 2011 final, won their Group A opener 3-1 at home to Nigerian side Rivers United. Bilel Ifa, Oussama Darragi and Joseph Douhadji scored for Ellili. In the other Group encounter, Rivers United will hope to recover from the scare in Tunisia when they host FUS Rabat in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
TOTAL CAF CONFEDERATION CUPGROUP A STANDINGSTEAM P W D L F A PtsFus Rabat (MAR) 1 1 0 0 3 0 3
Club Africain (TUN) 1 1 0 0 3 1 3
Rivers United (NIG) 1 0 0 1 1 3 0
KCCA (UGA) 1 0 0 1 0 3 0
GROUP A FIXTURES TUESDAY, MAY 23KCCA vs. Club Africain, Lugogo
WEDNESDAY, MAY 24Rivers Utd vs. FUS Rabat, Port Harcourt
DAY ONE RESULTSFUS Rabat 3-0 KCCA
Club Africain 3-1 Rivers United
Darren is a scribe with Daily Monitor Newspaper and, also a sports presenter with NBS Television and Radio One FM 90 in Kampala. Follow him on Twitter: @AllanDarren and his Facebook Page: Darren Allan Kyeyune