KCCA FC make history, march into CL Group Stage

RESULT: ?? KCCA FC 1 St. George ??   0 (Agg1-0)

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  Muhammad Shaban was the hero as KCCA made up for last year’s near miss by becoming the first Ugandan club to storm the African CAF Champions League group stage on Saturday.

Shaban’s 47th minute strike made the difference, giving Mike Mutebi’s Kampala Capital City Authority football side a 1-0 aggregate win over two legs in their last-32 2nd leg match at Lugogo.

“A very good performance. In the last 15 mintues, we had to suffer. We had to be beasts but in an organised manner. This is a turning point for KCCA because if you are going to be a big club, you need wins like these,” coach Mutebi told the press after the game.

The next stage is a lucrative one that Ugandan clubs have never featured in since it was introduced in 1997.

Prize money of at least $550,000 (Sh2 billion ) awaits clubs that make it into the 16-club mini-league phase. Football governing body FUFA will also have reason to smile, as national associations receive an additional equivalent share of 5% for each amount awarded to clubs.

After coming tantalisingly close to making the last 16 a year ago, KCCA placed a foot ahead two weeks ago after holding Saint George 0-0 in Ethiopia.

Ugandan coach Mike Mutebi had three wishes ahead of the match at home: “We must draw a capacity crowd to our stadium, play attractive football and win the match.”

He got all three wishes with his side dominating for long spells.

St. George’s Ugandan goalkeeper Robert Odongkara conceded defeat.

” I congratulates KCCA. We conceded due to a silly mistake but we shall go back to the drawing board,” he said after the game.

History made

While SC Villa (1991) and Simba (1972) had made it to the final of the African Club Championship before, Ugandan clubs have struggled since the early nineties and have not come close to the Champions League Group Stage introduced in 1997.

The great Villa side also made it to the 1992 CAF Cup, losing the final to Shooting Stars of Nigeria.

Line-ups Saturday at Lugogo.

KCCA FC: C.Lukwago, D.Okot, T.Awany, H.Kavuma, P.Mucureezi, M.Mutyaba, I.Kirabira, A.Okello, M.Kizza, S. Muhammad, Nsibambi

ST GEORGE: R.Odongkara, B.Butako, A.Tamene, S.Bargicho, A.Mohamed, A.Umema, M.Bolado, A.Zoko, B.Assefa, A.Malle, S.Abdela

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HISTORY OF CAF CL PRIZE MONEY

1997-2008

In 1997, CAF introduced prize money for the 8 participants in group stage for the first time in a club competition in Africa.

2009-2016

In 2009, CAF increased prize money 

2017-2020

CAF increases prize money to be shared between the top 16 clubs 

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