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CAF Confederation Cup

CAF Confederation Cup: KCCA Unmasked- Tactics, Style and Personnel

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BY SAMMY WEJINYA

 

Nigeria’s Rivers United will on Tuesday face Uganda’s KCCA as the battle in the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup resumes.  The Nigerian side is facing a very special KCCA squad! They have managed to accomplish what no other side before them (since the club was founded in 1963) could.

They managed to win the double; a feat completed on Thursday June 15 when they beat Paidha Black Angels 2-0 in the FUFA Cup final in Arua.

KCCA had earlier wrapped up the Ugandan league title this season making them the undisputed heavyweights of Ugandan football at this point in time.

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The Kasasiro Boys (Garbage Collectors) are riding the crest of a wave and their stars believe they can walk on water following a string of impressive results in recent weeks.

So how can they be stopped at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium on Tuesday?

 

The Coach

Mutebi is widely viewed as a father figure in Uganda. He’s never scared of giving youth a chance and six of his charges played for the Cranes, Uganda’s national team in last weekend’s 1-0 away victory over Cape Verde in 2019 Afcon qualifying.

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The playing style of KCCA is direct with fluid passing and movement of individuals in the final third interchanged at pace.

As far as formation goes, Mutebi is no Dinosaur! The tactician is flexible but usually favours a 4-4-2 or 5-2-3-1 depending on the opposition.

It is extremely likely that he will slant towards the latter on Tuesday for very obvious reasons

 

The Backline

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The major weakness of KCCA is their defence. Goalkeeper Benjamin Ochan is an impressive goalkeeper but he is no Manuel Neuer!

The back four can also be suspect and have a penchant for losing concentration at key moments, largely due to the lack of years of key dramatis personae in this area of the pitch.

Paul Musamali, Timothy Awani, Isaac Muleme and Denis Okot Oola, the captain are sure bets to start in the KCCA defence on Tuesday.

Mutebi could throw in an extra defender as the priority will be NOT to lose to the Nigerian vice-champions on enemy territory.

 

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The Midfield

This is KCCA’s biggest strength/potent weapon. Mutebi’s ‘middlemen’ NEVER stop running in any game.

They interchange positions delightfully, engage in dizzying spells of one-touch possession football and keep opponents guessing.

Tom Masiko (Jnr), the son of club legend, Tom (Snr) has grown in leaps and bounds in the last couple of years.

He worried the Rivers United defence to no end at Lugogo in the reverse fixture and is sure to start on the right side of the KCCA midfield on Tuesday.

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Another midfielder that the United defenders will do well to keep an eye on is Muzamiru Mutyaba.

The ‘poor man’s Diego Armando Maradona’ is a midfielder of the highest quality and basically every attacking move of side passes through him.

Blessed with uncanny vision, low centre of gravity and nimble footwork, he was the liveliest creative KCCA player in the reverse fixture.

If Mutyaba plays well on Tuesday, Rivers United could well be in serious trouble!  The Rivers United defenders are probably still having nightmares of him following that devastating display two weeks ago at Lugogo!

 

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The Strikers

As far as strikers are concerned, the twin terrors are Geoffrey Serunkuma and Derrick Nsibambi.

Serunkuma has yet to open his account in the CAF Confederation Cup despite scoring four times in this season’s CAF Champions League.

He’s hungry….very hungry for goals and will want to ‘eat’ at YGS on Tuesday!  Nsibambi needs no introduction to the Rivers United faithful.

He netted a brilliant double to put them to the sword at the Philip Omondi Stadium, Kampala on June 3.

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The Dangerman

The one man who could be the standout performer on Tuesday is a youngster; born on December 28, 1999 he is widely viewed as the future of Ugandan football.

Enter, Golden boy, Allan Okello!

 

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Fresh faced, talented and fearless! Okello reminds one of Lionel Messi!  You know what he’s going to do but you are absolutely powerless to stop him when he orchestrates it!

He was a thorn in the flesh of Rivers United’s defenders in the first leg with his direct running and intelligent runs off the ball.

So it appears pretty straightforward….cage Okello, Masiko and Mutyaba at YGS on Tuesday and (no prizes guessing), the supply line to Serunkuma and Nsimbabi is nullified!

If KCCA don’t score, chances are that Rivers United will win especially with the well-documented issues with the defence of the Ugandan double winners.

United have been poor offensively domestically but have looked a completely different proposition on the continent.

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The Pride of Rivers have scored in all their previous continental matches at YGS against AS Real Bamako (Mali), Al Merreikh (Sudan), Rayon Sports (Rwanda) and FUS Rabat (Morocco).

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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CAF Confederation Cup

Nigeria’s Samson Adamu signs Algeria’s USM match forfeiture

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It is now official and has moved from the realm of speculations. Algeria’s USM Alger have forfeited their home match in the cancelled CAF Confederation Cup semi-final first leg duel with Morocco’s RS Berkane.

An official letter signed by Nigeria’s Samson Adamu has been addressed to the Algerian Football Federation (FAF). Adamu is CAF’s Director of Tournaments and Events.

In the ;etter dated April 24, 2024 and sent to Nadir Bouzenad, the General Secretary of FAF, the English translation reads:

Algerian Football Federation (FAF)

 Subject: Match No 129 USMA (Algeria) vs.  RS Berkane (Morocco) of the TotalEnergies Confederation Cup 2023/2024

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 At its meeting held on April 24, the Committee for the Organization of Interclub Competitions and the Management of the Club Licensing System decided the following:

 1. Sanction Club USMA with a forfeit of 0-3 for match no.129 USMA (Algeria) vs RS Berkane (Morocco) of the TotalEnergies Confederation Cup 2023/2024.

 2. Submit the case to the Disciplinary Jury for possible additional sanctions.

 3. The return match RS Berkane (Morocco) vs USMA (Algeria) of the TotalEnergies Confederation Cup 2023/2024 – at the Municipal Stadium of Berkane – 8:00 p.m. (local time) on April 28, 2024 is maintained.

It is however doubtful if USM will honour Sunday’s return match as Algeria pulled out of an Arab Handball Championship for the same reason that scuttled the CAF Confederation Cup match last Sunday.

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The Algerians pulled out of a scheduled handball fixture against Morocco because of the map of the Moroccans’ shirts. Pulling out of the Confederation Cup return leg may also attract further sanctions as CAF has indicated.

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CAF Confederation Cup

BREAKING! CAF awards abandoned Confederation Cup semi-finals to Morocco’s RS Berkane

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Algeria’s USM Alger will have a mountain to climb if they honour the return leg of the Confederation Cup match against Morocco’s RS Berkane on Sunday. Governing body, CAF according to Moroccan outlet, sport.le360, has awarded the cancelled first leg match of last Sunday to RS Berkane as the host team that made the match impossible was declare loser with three goals against.

That is the outcome of the CAF inter-club competitions committee meeting. The match in question did not hold as Algerian authorities confiscated the jerseys of the Moroccans on the ground that they have outline map of Morocco that included a disputed southern province.

CAF had before the match the the jerseys in question are legitimate and had been worn in other matches before now. Algeria declined to accept the ruling.

It is however doubtful if the Algerians will honour the return leg as the Moroccans expectedly will wear the jerseys in dispute on their home ground.

The Algerians have reportedly withdrawn from the Arab U17 Handball Championship on account of having to face Morocco whose shirts will undoubtedly have the kingdom’s full map.

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CAF Confederation Cup

Dreams FC dreams coming true? … secure goalless draw against Zamalek in Cairo

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Ghana’s team in the CAF Confederation Cup, Dreams FC, is living up to their name. The continental debutants are indeed dreaming dreams. If this is a dream, please don’t wake them up. They have just upset one of the powerhouses in Africa.  

The Egyptian giants Zamalek failed to make their dominance count as they were held to a goalless draw by  Dreams FC in the first leg of their  Confederation Cup semi-final in Cairo on Sunday.

The White Knights enjoyed the better of the chances in Cairo but lacked a cutting edge in the final third against their well-organised opponents.

Portuguese coach Jose Gomes will be concerned by his side’s profligacy ahead of next Sunday’s return in Kumasi, where an away goal for Dreams could prove pivotal.

Zamalek applied plenty of early pressure, with Shikabala, Mostafa Shalaby and Ahmed Hamdi all going close to breaking the deadlock before the midway point of the first half.

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Dreams goalkeeper Solomon Agbasi had to be alert to keep out efforts from Shikabala and Travis Mutyaba as Zamalek’s wastefulness in front of goal continued.

The visitors started to gain a foothold and went close through John Antwi, whose powerful strike was well blocked by the impressive Hossam Abdelmaguid.

Shalaby was replaced by Benin international Samson Akinyoola at the break but Zamalek’s frustrations mounted, with the hosts struggling to carve out clear-cut openings.

Akinyoola dragged an effort wide before Shikabala forced a smart save from Agbasi as the offside flag repeatedly came to Dreams’ rescue.

There was still time for Ibrahima Ndiaye to rattle the crossbar late on, but ultimately Zamalek could not find a way through the stubborn Ghanaian rearguard.

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Dreams will fancy their chances of reaching the final on away goals if they can shut out Zamalek again in Kumasi next weekend.

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