Cecafa Kagame Cup semifinals: KCCA faces Azam today

By Kenneth Muwanga in Dar-es-Salaam

Cecafa Kagame Cup semifinals

KCCA FC v Azama FC

Gor Mahia FC v Khartoum FC


Ugandan side KCCA FC plays Azam FC of Tanzania today for a place in the final of the Cecafa Kagame Cup 2015.

KCCA stormed the semifinals after an emphatic 3-0 victory over Sudan side Al Ahly Shendi on Wednesday in Dar-es-Salaam.

But now what stands in the way of the Ugandan representatives and the final is an Azam side which inflicted a 1-0 damage on KCCA earlier in the group stages.

And they will hope their fate won’t play out like it did last year when they were eliminated at this very stage of the regional tournament by Sudan side Al-Merrikh FC.

But they have proved they have got what it takes to reach the final, especially after shaking off that initial slip and going on to win their subsequent three matches.

Although wanting in front of goal, KCCA put up a brilliant display against a resilient Al Ahly Shendiin the quarters at the National Stadium in Dar.

Joseph Ocaya opened the scoreline in the first half, before Muzamiru Mutyaba and skipper Tom Masiko wrapped up a comprehensive win after restart to progress to the semis with a huge statement.

It is still early days for new coach Mike Mutebi and his assistant Sam Ssimbwa who were unveiled at the club last month. For the two, winning the elusive regional club title will punctuate significantly their intentions for the Kampala side.

During training prior to their semifinal meet, the emphasis for KCCA players was on speed and urgency in the attack.

The team has seen the return of Michael Birungi who missed the quarterfinal game after being suspended for two bookings in the group stages.

After their Wednesday win, KCCA coach Ssimbwa made it clear they are playing to reach the final – and possibly win the title.

And with their opponents today being a physical side, the Ugandan side is looking to maintain a 4-5-1 formation that has worked well.

“We are ready for Azam tomorrow (Friday]. Last time, we made a few mistakes and they scored in the first minutes and we know it’s their strategy. We will try to neutralize them because we know how to play,” said Ssimbwa.