CAF Confederation Cup
CAF Confederation Cup: KCCA Unmasked- Tactics, Style and Personnel
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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).
CAF Confederation Cup
Shooting Stars, Ikorodu City, in Winner-Takes-All Quest for Confederation Cup ticket
By Kunle Solaja.
The battle for the Nigeria Premier Football League’s remaining CAF Confederation Cup ticket will go down to the wire on the final day of the season, with Shooting Stars and Ikorodu City locked in a tense race for third place.
While title contenders, Enugu Rangers International and Rivers United, have already secured Nigeria’s slots in next season’s CAF Champions League, the contest for the Confederation Cup place remains delicately poised.
Shooting Stars currently occupy third position with 60 points, holding a narrow two-point advantage over fourth-placed Ikorodu City, who sit on 58 points ahead of the 24 May decisive fixtures.
The Ibadan side is in pole position and needs only to avoid defeat away to Niger Tornadoes to confirm a return to continental football next season.
However, Ikorodu City still has a fighting chance of snatching the ticket.
The Lagos-based club must defeat title-chasing Rangers and hope Shooting Stars stumble against Niger Tornadoes to overturn the deficit and leapfrog the Oluyole Warriors into third place.
Their clash against Rangers is expected to rank among the standout fixtures of the final day, with both teams carrying huge ambitions into the encounter.
For Ikorodu City, the situation revives painful memories from last season when they chased a continental ticket from two fronts but ended up empty-handed.
The club narrowly missed out on third place after suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat to eventual champions Remo Stars in Ikenne on the final day, despite taking the lead in the encounter. The result pushed them down to fourth position.
Their hopes of reaching the continent through the Federation Cup also ended in heartbreak after a penalty shootout loss to Abakaliki FC in the semi-finals following a goalless draw.
Now, with another opportunity within reach, Ikorodu City will hope fortune finally smiles on them as they seek what would be a historic continental qualification.
With the title race, continental qualification battle, and survival struggles all still unresolved, the final day of the NPFL season is set to deliver tension and drama across the country.
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Hosts USM Alger converted a controversial stoppage-time penalty to edge Egyptian giants Zamalek 1-0 in Saturday’s first leg of the African Confederation Cup final at the Stade du 5 Juillet in the Algerian capital Algiers.
Ahmed Khaldi converted the spot kick after Zamalek thought they had snatched a late winner through Brazilian substitute Juan Alvina, who ran half the length of the pitch to tuck away a superb individual effort.
But the strike was ruled out, and play was brought back for a foul in the build-up when VAR found Hossam Abdelmaguid had caught Rayane Mahrouz with a knee in the back.
Early in the second half, Zamalek’s Angolan import Chico Banza had a looping effort over USMA goalkeeper Oussama Benbot cleared off the line by defender Hocine Dehiri
USMA enjoyed fervent support but will now be up against it in Cairo when Zamalek host the second leg next Saturday.
Zamalek previously won the Confederation Cup in 2019 and 2024, while USMA were victors in 2023.
-Reuters
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Two of Africa’s most decorated clubs will renew their continental ambitions on Saturday when USM Alger host Zamalek SC in the first leg of the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup final in Algiers.
The eagerly anticipated showdown at the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 is expected to set the tone for what promises to be another fiercely contested final in Africa’s secondary club competition, with not only continental prestige at stake but also a record first prize of USD 4 million for the eventual winners.
USM Alger, champions in 2023, will be aiming to reclaim the title they won after edging Tanzania’s Young Africans on away goals in a dramatic two-legged final. The Algerian side booked their place in this season’s final through another tense away-goals triumph, eliminating Morocco’s Olympic Club Safi after a 1-1 aggregate draw.
For Zamalek, the final presents an opportunity to further cement their reputation as one of Africa’s elite clubs. The Egyptian giants lifted the Confederation Cup in 2019 and again in 2024, beating Morocco’s RS Berkane on both occasions after nail-biting aggregate scorelines.
The White Knights also had to navigate a difficult semi-final path this season, edging fellow Algerian side CR Belouizdad 1-0 on aggregate thanks to a crucial away victory inspired by Brazilian forward Juan Alvina.
Recent history suggests little will separate the two finalists. Several Confederation Cup finals in recent years have been decided on away goals or penalties, and another tight contest is widely expected over the two legs.
Saturday’s opening encounter in Algiers will be officiated by Mauritanian referee Dahane Beida, while Gabonese official Pierre Atcho will handle the decisive return leg in Cairo on 16 May.
With a passionate home crowd expected behind them, USM Alger will look to establish an advantage before travelling to the intimidating atmosphere of Cairo International Stadium for the second leg.
Zamalek, however, arrive with vast continental experience and a proven ability to thrive under pressure in away fixtures, setting the stage for a compelling battle between North African heavyweights.
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