KCCA crash out of CAF Confederation Cup

2019-20 CAF CONFEDERATION CUP PLAY-OFF ROUND

By Joseph Kizza

@joekizza

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ALGIERS | After Proline FC failed to qualify for the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday, local hopes narrowed down to KCCA FC lifting the nation - but even they failed the north African test, as Uganda bowed out of this term's continental club football.

Earlier in the day, Libyan side Al-Nasr Benghazi beat Proline to a spot in the group stage, thanks to a 4-2 aggregate result, leaving only one Ugandan side in contention.

KCCA came up short at home in the first leg last Sunday, failing to make the most out of the home advantage as they were held to a goalless draw by Algerian side Paradou AC.

Although the Uganda Premier League defending champions prevented the visitors from picking up a vital away goal, what they could not do was to stop the free-flowing Algerian outfit from banging in the goals when the roles reversed seven days later in the Algerian capital Algiers.

Mike Mutebi saw his side's wheels fly off as early as the ninth minute at the El Djezair Stadium as the hosts drew first blood through Hairan.

Allan Okello lashed in half-way into the opening half to restore parity but Paradou were awarded a penalty, which Yousri Bouzok stepped up to bury past Charles Lukwago.

The hosts were in control at half time, but they knew theirs was a fragile lead. Any goal draw would take KCCA through.

HT Pardaou AC 2-1 KCCA FC ( Hairan 9', Bouzouk [P] 37' | Okello 23')
Agg 2-1 #PACKCCA #CAFCC pic.twitter.com/QfSas6gCGX

— KCCA FC (@KCCAFC) November 3, 2019

Paradou returned after the interval intent on stretching the contest beyond the Ugandan side's reach.

And they found the much-needed cushion in the 65th minute through Abdelkahar Kadri, before Aimen Bouguerra killed the game off with Paradou's fourth of the night five minutes later.

At this point, even with 20 minutes still left to play, the task appeared too much for the visitors and chances of any meaningful comeback dwindled in agonising fashion as the minutes got chalked off one by one.

It means that for a second successive season, KCCA have failed to make it beyond the play-off round of the competition. In the last campaign, they were eliminated by Congo Brazzaville side AS Otoho 3-2 on aggregate.

For now, the club will, as they put it in their tweet, switch their attentions back to defending their league title - in the hope of returning to continental football next season.

We are out of CAF. We'll settle for Startimes Premier League.#CAFCC #PACKCCA pic.twitter.com/c1VfWTTDlR

— KCCA FC (@KCCAFC) November 3, 2019

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