By Denis West

At this stage, we had started thinking that KCCA had mastered everything needed to make it to the Caf Confederation Cup – and overcoming Congo’s AS Otoho D’Oyo would be just ‘a stroll in the park’.

How wrong have we been all proved!

Here was Mike Mutebi’s KCCA,that had leant nothing and forgotten nothing in their previous away matches in continental engagement, surrendering a 3-0 first leg advantage and retaining false hope that they can overturn the tables at Lugogo in a week’s time.

It was not that Otoho, eliminated by Platinum Stars of Zimbabwe in the Caf Champions League on their maiden attempt on the continent before being ‘relegated’ to the Confederation Cup, was a superior side – KCCA just didn’t accord them respect and did little or no prior research about their technically better opponents at all.

On foreign territory, Mutebi went with a suspect midfield of Lawrence Bukenya, Gift Ali, Julius Poloto, Herbert Achai, Mike Mutyaba and Allan Okello benching experienced players like Muzamiru Mutyaba, Hassan Musana, Isaac Kirabira and Allan Kyambadde – all in the name of ‘playing our way’.

By half time at the Stade Omni Sport Marien Ngoubi D’Owando on Sunday, Otoho forward Yedan Moussa had grabbed a brace and when Mutebi had run out of ideas, Kikasa Wamba put the hosts into a healthy 3-0 lead that at the moment seems to have stretched the match out of KCCA’s reach.

Having conjured home wins against continental giants like Al Ahly, Fus Rabat and Al Masry, Mutebi is still dreaming of a historical comeback (it has to be 4-0 for starters) which out rightly requires a miracle.

“It’s not over. They were just effective in the final third and we were not but we were never outplayed at all. They were technically good and used the ball well,” Mutebi consoled himself.

Beneath his outcries lies the fundamental question, why does KCCA develop cold feet away from home? Mutebi likes to attack home or away, and has been punished for leaving spaces at the back.

Sadly for KCCA fans, and largely to Uganda football enthusiasts that had thought KCCA was now the vanguard of Ugandan soccer on the continent, Mutebi is not relenting in using his fruitless approach.

“The chances they got, they used them and that was the difference. We didn’t come here to play a containing game, we were attacking. Even when we go back home, that how we are going to play but we must be effective with the chances we get because the chances we shall get, “he added.

The only away win came against Tanzania minnows Mtibwa but KCCA’s work on the continent is cut out; starting evading away losses, and dream of big ambitions.

Selected KCCA Caf away results:

Otoho 3-0 KCCA Mtibwa Sugar 1-2 KCCA Al Ahly 4-3 KCCA Esperance 3-2 KCCA Township Rollers 1-0 KCCA Saint George 0-0 KCCA CNaPS Sport 2-1 KCCA (UGA) Al Masry (EGY) 1-0 KCCA Club Africain (TUN) 4-0 KCCA Rivers United (NIG) 2-1 KCCA FUS Rabat 3-0 KCCA Club de Agosto (ANG) 2-1 KCCA