Can KCCA FC recover?

By Hussein Bukenya in Kigali

Today, Live on SS9

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APR v Telecom B

KCCA v Flambeau B

The soul-crushing loss that KCCA FC suffered at the hands of Djibouti’s Telecom FC on Sunday had nothing to do with talent.

KCCA simply lost the CECAFA Club Cup championship match because they weren’t even on the pitch during the game.

Incidents off the pitch, incidentally at times contributes to the outcomes of a particular match. It exactly happened to KCCA when senior players resorted to a hot argument over the ownership of a pair of playing boots just an hour to kick off.

Coach George ‘Best’ Nsimbe tried to calm the situation down but it was too late.

And probably it’s one of the reasons as to why the team played a disjointed game. Lack of a game plan on the pitch, KCCA FC as a team lacked a deliberate strategic plan equivalent to the one they had in their win over Kenya’s Gor Mahia in their opening match of the tournament.

The team lost ideas and resorted to a kick and run sort of game that left the backline exposed.

The four man midfield of Hakim Senkumba, Owen Kasule, William Wadri and Brian Majwega played very wide from each other. This restricted them from maintaining their passing game that could help them dominate play.

At the same time they left behind plenty of spaces that the opposition utilized to penetrate from the center. Complacency KCCA’s approach to Sunday’s game has a lot to suggest that they underrated the Djibouti opposition before kicking the ball.

This was the first time a Ugandan side lost to a Djibouti team.

The team lost concentration that led them to missing seven clear cut chances and at the other end defenders vacating key areas thus leaving their goal area open.

Way forward As they (KCCA FC) prepare for tomorrow’s must win clash against Atletico FC from Burundi, Nsimbe should go back to the drawing board to make a deliberate plan and make sure his guards stick to it throughout the game.

 To win any particular game, a team is required to utilize the created chances.

Lead striker Brian Umony has to rediscover his scoring boots to be in position to convert the few chances expected to be created.

 Atletico employed a defensive approach in their 1-0 loss to APR of Rwanda and they are expected to employ the same approach tomorrow.

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