KCC FC overrun Super fortress

Apr 05, 2009

<br><br>IF the belief that the gulf in financial muscle determines the cream of continental football, then KCC FC’s progress in the MTN-sponsored CAF Champions League is changing that status quo.

CAF Champions League
Supersport 1(1) KCC FC 1(2)
(KCC won 3-2 aggregate)


By Fred Kaweesi in Johannesburg

IF the belief that the gulf in financial muscle determines the cream of continental football, then KCC FC’s progress in the MTN-sponsored CAF Champions League is changing that status quo.

KCC FC’s 3-2 aggregate win over SuperSport United on Saturday, was apparently meant to justify the gulf that exists between Uganda’s amateur league and South Africa’s professional league. It surely did and Ugandan football had better be proud.

KCC’s landmark 1-1 draw against South African champions SuperSport that guaranteed qualification into the round stages of the MTN-sponsored CAF Champions League, did not only represent the club’s most satisfying continental result away from home in over a decade.

It also demonstrated that there is little that money can do in lifting standards or rescuing situations for an untalented side and particularly when the opponent in question is KCC FC.

SuperSport, who boast a mouthwatering player-wage pay cheque of sh163m a month, did their best, but it certainly was not enough to overcome a ten-man KCC side, whose monthly player wage bill does not exceed sh2.3m. There was never any doubt that KCC would have a bunch of heroic triers; less certain that they could produce heroic footballers.

And so it proved at the Bidvest Stadium, when Anthony Bongole struck to rescue KCC’s continental dream that had been engrossed on its death bed for 82 minutes.

For the third time in the Champions League, Uganda’s league champions fought from a goal down, after Sikwivhili Mulondo had given the home side a deserved lead on 71 minutes.

Mulondo walked off the bench and scored with virtually his first touch after SuperSport had opened KCC’s back-four.

“Money is not everything. We want to prove that Ugandan football is blessed with exceptional talent. That goal I scored ranks so high among my personal achievements,” Bongole stated.

That was KCC as they won the right to take on Sudan’s El-Merriekh next.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});