Football
Andrew Oryada, Special to ESPN 6y

KCCA's naivety must end vs. Esperance - Mutebi

KCCA FC can allow no room for error when they host Esperance in their CAF Champions League clash on Saturday after they let a two-goal lead slip in the first meeting between the two sides, according to coach Mike Mutebi.

The Ugandan heavyweights tore into a two-goal lead inside the first 22 minutes at the Stade Olympique de Rades on July 17, but conceded twice inside three first-half minutes as the hosts levelled the contest.

Bilel Mejri then struck an 82nd-minute winner for Esperance as KCCA's miserable record away in North Africa continued.

"We lost the game away in Tunis because of naivety of the players," Mutebi told KweséESPN, "but we must treat the return leg very seriously.

"It means a lot for us if we hope to achieve our dream of getting to the quarter finals.

"There will be no room for error from our side because we know what to expect and we are preparing for it," the coach continued. "We should not mess up again like when we took a two-goal lead in Tunisia and eventually lost 3-2."

Despite the loss in Tunisia, KCCA remain firmly in the running for the quarters even though they sit bottom of Group A.

Esperance lead the group with seven points, while Al-Ahly are in second after they defeated Botswana's Township Rollers 3-0 in Alexandria in matchday three.

The Rollers are in third ahead of KCCA after winning the game between the two.

"We shall stick to our gameplan and not sit back and defend, but go all out to try and get maximum points," Mutebi added. "Tactically, we know how we shall approach them and also hope that home advantage helps us."

Mutebi has confirmed that attacking midfielder Jackson Nunda, who scored against Esperance, may be absent due to a muscle problem, although striker Muhammad Shaban is confident that he can return in time for the clash.

"I've been struggling with a knock I picked in Tunisia, but I am determined to guide KCCA FC to a win," the wonderkid told KweséESPN.

"It will not be an easy game, but with team work and taking our chances we should be able to win."

KCCA FC are the only team in the Council for East and Central African Football Associations (CECAFA) region that are playing in the CAF CL group stage.

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