Last Wednesday’s draw of the Caf Confederation Cup group stage drew mixed emotions and reactions from KCCA fans and pundits.
The league champions were pooled alongside Tunisian giants Club Africain, River United of Nigeria as well as FUS Rabat from Morocco, the side that annihilated SC Villa 7-0 in the same competition two years ago.
On one hand is a school of thought that views this as a dream draw for the Ugandan outfit, whom, they argue, need to play against the best. On the flipside, this is perhaps the toughest possible matchup for Mike Mutebi’s charges, especially when you factor in the long journeys to North and West Africa.
UNDERDOG TAG
On paper, KCCA are the whipping boys of the group, with only the top two teams qualifying for the quarterfinal of the competition. That’s not to say that they have no hope of making it to the knock- out stage and therefore need to focus on the dangerous league run-in.
In reality, KCCA need every energy on the continent regardless of the fact the team is assured of at least Shs 1 billion in prize money. Big teams show their mettle on the biggest stage on the continent, not on the domestic front.
So, who knows where the likes of Geoffrey Sserunkuma would end if KCCA reach the quarters and perhaps semis?
Now that KCCA are almost certain to retain the league title, I’m sure Mutebi is going to prioritize the Confederation Cup in the coming days. Then again, if I was him, I would encourage the players to enjoy themselves without pressure against the much-fancied sides simply because few expected the club to reach this far while still at an experimental stage.
FIXTURE CONGESTION
One thing that will make or break KCCA in the coming days is the fixture pileup. By press time, KCCA were chasing an unprecedented treble after Sunday’s Uganda Cup quarterfinal against Police FC.
For a club that has played four games in the past nine days, burn-out, injuries and sheer fatigue could have crept into the team. Matters will not be helped by the fact that the club still has five more league games.
With the first round of Confederation Cup matches slated for next weekend, the timing couldn’t have been any worse for KCCA. You cannot fail to feel some sympathy for the club, but such daunting challenges are what separate great teams from ordinary ones.
END OF HISTORICAL JINX
KCCA’s elimination of Egyptian giants Al Masry in the previous round was some sort of a landmark result. Not only was it their first time to eject a North African side on the continent, it also breathed new life in the side whose chances had already been written off by some pundits.
Personally, I believe the key to ending that jinx had a lot to do with Mutebi’s newfound mental toughness that he has passed on to the players. That mettle should be a springboard for the club, especially on their travels.
UGANDAN PRIDE
It is times like these that Ugandans need to put any club differences aside and support KCCA’s fairytale run on the continent. Many may not know that 12 countries field two sides in the continent’s premier competition, the Caf Champions League, because of the high coefficient rank.
In the same vein, few may realize that should KCCA go on to reach the quarters, Uganda will have a chance of fielding two teams in the competition next season.
So, KCCA needs the country’s support to raise our Caf coefficient and, in the process, boost our chances of fielding more teams.
bzziwa@observer.ug
The author is operations director of The Observer Media Ltd.
