MAKE OR BREAK: Can Mutebi’s depleted KCCA negotiate past this action-packed May to attain victory?

By Denis West

Tuesday May 1, (today)

Uganda Premier League

Express vs KCCA, Wankulukuku

Friday, May 4

Caf Champions League

Township Rollers vs KCCA, Botswana

Everything Uganda Premier League back-to-back winners KCCA have been trying to piece up this season comes to a determinant phase in May.

It is a life changing month in which club manager Mike Mutebi and the club faithful would have wanted their players to be firing on all cylinders.

Any further injury scare just exacerbates the current situation that sees them already miss three key players Sadam Juma, Muzamir Mutyaba and Jackson Nunda through injury.

Mutebi says for KCCA to win a third straight league crown, they still have a 50 percent chance – probably because they are four points below leaders Vipers and two adrift of second placed Villa.

In the beautiful game of football, we have a belief that everything is possible but it is hard to see KCCA ably juggling league, Uganda Cup and Caf duties and beating Vipers and Villa to the title.

After the Express league date this Tuesday (today), which will obviously suck a lot of calories out of their players considering it is a derby match no one wants to lose, KCCA will jet out to Botswana to face Township Rollers on Friday.

On paper, Rollers should be KCCA’s stepping stone to get out of a tough Group A that also has Magreb giants Esperance and Al Ahly but that is easier said than done.

Nikola Kavazovic’s Rollers, that ejected Tanzania giants Yanga to get here for the first time, are currently second in their home league and are known to be a purely attacking side that will trouble KCCA whose away problems are well documented.

You would expect former KCCA midfield enforcer Ivan Ntege to spill some Kasasiro Boys secrets to his new side.

When they return next week, KCCA will be greeted by the ‘Lugogo Derby’ with Proline which they lost 2-1 in the first round. Proline, struggling to stay afloat, will have no mercy for their colleagues with whom they share dressing rooms and artificial pitch.

Mutebi will then have five days to pick up the pieces and prepare to host for arguably the most frightening fixture for any club on the continent – a visit by eight-time Caf Champions league winners Al Ah Ahly at Namboole.

The Egyptians will play KCCA on a Tuesday at KCCA’s new continent home – Namboole – that the Kasasiro Boys are yet to master like Lugogo where they didn’t lose in nine Caf games. By this time, expect Mutebi to resting a few key players for some league games whilst welcoming back some like Mutyaba, Sadam and Nunda.

KCCA, citing a daunting group challenge, had contemplated bringing in experienced campaigners like Mike Mutyaba but then again the Caf window doesn’t open until June. To avoid a similar scenario like they had with Sadam Juma last season, KCCA have Mutyaba training with them to adapt before he officially joins midway the campaign to ease the creative burden saddled by Allan Okello and others at the moment.

With scratches from the Al Alhly encounter, KCCA will in four day’s time travel to Mwererwe to face a Bright Stars side they always labour to win whilst hoping the title race will be still open.

Vipers and Villa have only the league and maybe the Uganda Cup semis to worry about and are expected to be in cruise control up until now. If still in contention, KCCA will use all their remaining energy to win against Bul at Lugogo and then invade Namboole to play Abdallah Mubiru’s Police in their last league game.

With all the three title contenders storming the Uganda Cup semis, expect KCCA to have higher chances of facing either Villa or Vipers in the double legged eliminator which only serves to complicate their already busy month.

It is in times like these that heroes emerge, KCCA players and coaches are surely at the cusp of glory or failure.

Uganda Premier League

Thursday May 10

KCCA vs Proline, Lugogo

Caf Champions League

Tuesday May 15

KCCA vs Al Ahly, Namboole

Uganda Premier League

Saturday May 19

Bright Stars vs KCCA, Mwererwe

Uganda Premier League

Tuesday May 22