CAF Champions League First Round Second leg
KCCA FC vs St. George
StarTimes Stadium, Lugogo
Saturday, 17-03-2018
Time: 04:00pm
KCCA FC will be aiming to make history on Saturday by becoming the first Ugandan club to get into the group stages of the CAF Champions league if they go past Ethiopian giants St. George at the StarTimes stadium in Lugogo.
After the first leg ended 0-0 in Ethiopia, KCCA head into the game slightly favourites with the away point earned although such an advantage is widely seen as dangerous.
When you draw 0-0 away from home in a two legged affair, any goal you concede at home means you are required to out score you opponent so as to go through as any draw from the game automatically knocks you out on away goals rule.
KCCA are aiming to get into the group stages for the first time in five attempts after failing in 2009, 2014, 2015 and last year when they where eliminated at this stage by then defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa 3-2 on aggregate.
“I am happy that my players are very motivated and prepared for the game, said KCCA FC head coach Mike Hilary Mutebi at a press briefing on Friday morning.
“There is a lot of belief in them that this is their time and that they will be able to do it.
“We are blessed by the fact that we don’t have new injury concerns apart from Jackson Nunda, Saddam Juma and Paul Musamali who have been out for a while now.
On the Opposition tomorrow, Mutebi had this to say.
“We are going to play a side that is so good on the ball and knows how to use it.
“I am expecting them to come and attack us from the on set which i hope will play in our favour but we will need to be extra organised and effective and also put away our chances.
“Their biggest problem like us too is that they don’t score that many goals despite being able to create chances.
“In the first game, they created five chances and failed to hit the target even once.
In the Preliminary round, the Kasasiro boys overcame Madagascan side CNaPS Sport on away goals after drawing 2-2 on aggregate after two legs.
For St. George, their first round fixture with South Sudanese side Wau Salaam was deemed a no contest as their opponents failed to honour either of the two fixtures.
Match Facts:
St. George has featured prominently in the CAF champions league but their best performance came last season when they entered into the group stages of the competition. For KCCA FC, this is their fifth appearance in the competition and have never managed to get past this(first) round before.
Last year, KCCA fell 3-2 on aggregate to Mamelodi Sundowns at this stage while St. George overcame AC Leopards of Congo 3-0 on aggregate to advance into the group stages.
KCCA FC has won only one of their last six CAF Champions league games(D2 L3) while St. George has not won any of their last four outings in the competitions(D1 L3).
KCCA FC have not lost a CAF Champions league game at home since March 2014 when Nkana Red Devils defeated them 2-1 at Lugogo. In that period, the Kasasiro Boys have played four matches at home, winning three and drawing the other.
Worryingly for KCCA, they have not scored more than once at home in the competition in any of their last seven fixture. The last time they scored two goals in the same game at home was in 2009 when they defeated South African out fits Super Sport United 2-1 in Kampala.
For St. George, They have won only three of their away games in the competition since 2006(P16 D5 L8) but have failed to score in only two of their last five fixtures on the road.
KCCA FC Probable Line up.
1. Charles Lukwago
2. Timothy Awanyi (c)
3. Denis Okot
4. Habib Kavuma
5. Paul Mucurezi
6. Mustapha Kiiza
7. Isaac Kirabira
8. Muzamir Mutyaba
9. Lawrence Bukenya
10. Shaban Muhammad
11. Derrick Nsibambi
