Anyau brags about Victors

Newly appointed Victors head coach Frank ‘Video’ Anyau has immodestly stated that Victors can win the African Confederations Cup this year.

The flamboyant coach has also warned his rivals not to write off Victors chances of winning the Super League for the first time. “I have no doubt these boys are too good and can win the Confederations Cup. They are young men who are hardworking and very willing to do anything,” the brazen Anyau said.

Victors won the Kakungulu Cup last year to earn the right to represent Uganda in the Confederations Cup.
League champions KCC FC will compete in the preliminary stages of the African Champions League, bidding to become the first Ugandan side to reach the lucrative group stages of the competition.

The last Ugandan side to reach a final of a continental club competition was SC Villa in 1991, and it lost to Tunisia’s Club Africain 7-3 in the two-legged final of the African Club Championship.

Express and KCC were losing semi-finalists in 1995 and 1997.

Ahly to face Coton Sport in final

Egyptian side Al Ahly will meet Cotonsport of Cameroon in the final of the 2008 African Champions League after beating Enyimba 1-0 in Cairo on Saturday.

The five-time champions beat the Nigerian side by the same aggregate score after Angolan Flavio headed home compatriot Gilberto's corner after 26 minutes.

The lead was no less than Al Ahly deserved after opening the scoring after 14 minutes only to see Mohamed Barakat's goal wrongly disallowed for offside.

Bidding to reach their first final since 2004, two-time champions Enyimba rarely troubled the Egyptian defence.

'The People's Elephant' arrived in town with all eyes on striker Stephen Worgu, the leading Champions League scorer with 13 goals this season.

He is reportedly being chased by Al Ahly yet only threatened their backline once, when wriggling past two defenders before driving an angled 15-yard shot wide after 70 minutes.

Enyimba struggled to create chances, playing well until the final third where their quality deserted them, and Al Ahly keeper Amir Abdelhamid did not have a shot to save until the 55th minute.

On the other hand, Al Ahly largely dominated, creating a multitude of chances which would have made for a less tense evening.

Mohamed Aboutreika was the first to threaten after 11 minutes, his acrobatic volley from near the penalty spot bravely headed clear by Enyimba defender Uga Okpara.

Fifteen minutes later, Flavio scored the only goal of the two-legged semi-final as he lost his marker before glancing home Gilberto?s corner from 6 yards.

Al Ahly's lead should have been doubled after 34 minutes, but Ahmed Sayed somehow failed to connect from two yards out when a cross was knocked across the face of the Enyimba goal.

Eighteen minutes from time, Aboutreika wasted another chance to extend Al Ahly's lead, volleying another fine cross from Gilberto horribly over from close range.

Al Ahly, who will be in the final of Africa's premier club tournament for the eighth tournament, become only the third side to reach four straight finals.

DR Congo's TP Englebert Mazembe were the first to do so, when winning two finals between 1967 and 1970, while Guinea's Hafia Conakry also won two of four finals, between 1975-1978.

Al Ahly are bidding to win a record sixth title, currently boasting five trophies - the same as bitter Cairo rivals Zamalek.

Coton Sport reach Champs Lge final

Coton Sport became the first Champions League finalists from Cameroon in 28 years after whipping Dynamos of Zimbabwe 4-0 on Saturday in Garoua.

The home side advanced on a 5-0 aggregate thanks to their 1-0 win in the first leg of the semi-final clash in Harare a forthnight ago.

It was the first time a Cameroonian side had qualified for the final since the new format was introduced in 1997.

Coton Sport made the perfect start with Sebastien Koua scoring just one minute after the kick-off to double the aggregate advantage of a team hoping to emulate compatriots Oryx Douala, Union Douala and Canon and conquer Africa.

Dynamos recovered to have the edge territorially in the first half but the 'Harare Glamour Boys' could not score.

When Jacques Zoua added a second Cotonsport goal seven minutes after half-time the 1998 runners-up must have realised their great run was coming to an abrupt end.

Any doubt about the outcome was dispelled on 65 minutes when Niger national team striker Daouda Kamilou scored his seventh Champions League goal this season, a feat bettered only by teenage Enyimba striker Stephen Worgu.

Baba Ousmaila claimed his fifth goal of the competition 14 minutes from full-time as Dynamos wilted under constant pressure with goalkeeper Willard Manyatera saving the Zimbabweans from a heavier loss.

The first leg of the final will be staged in Cairo over the weekend of October 31-November 2 with the return fixture in Garoua two weeks later.

Apart from a one-million-dollar first prize, the African champions qualify for the Fifa Club World Cup during December in Japan, where Manchester United will be among the contenders.

FUFA orders clubs to form youth sides

After the Cranes failure yet again at continental level, all Ugandan Super League sides will effective from the 2009/10 season be required to have junior teams in order to have fully developed youth structures.

“A football club must have youth structures at times starting as low as U-13,” Justus Mugisha, Fufa official in charge of youth development told the press.

“The Manchester United and Ajax Amsterdam academies that nurtured talents like David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nwankwo Kanu and Marco Van Basten are classic examples of very successful academies.”

He went on: “We shall for a start require the clubs to have U-17 teams before adding more under age categories in subsequent seasons.”

This move by the federation is intended to strengthen Uganda’s youth soccer structures. The youth sides will, like their senior teams, be kept active in a league.

Lack of solid talent development structures for the Cranes was one of the reasons given for Uganda’s poor performance over the years at international level.

However, Mugisha said FUFA’s idea of youth development was not prompted by the Cranes’ failure to advance. Currently 16- time league champions SC Villa has junior side.

Nearly the entire Villa side including runner-up for FUFA’s Footballer Player award Stephen Bengo are products of the club's youth side known as Jogoo Young.

The great KCC side of the seventies and eighties was also hinged on a solid youth development structure with a junior side City Cubs.

Williamson to meet club coaches

Edgar Watson, Fufa Technical Director and Bobby Williamson, national team coach, will meet football coaches from Super Division Clubs, First division clubs and from the Uganda Coaches Association (UCA) this coming Monday at FUFA house.
Watson explained that the meeting is the first initiative to create a link between the coaches and the national team coach, to get information on how best the coaches will work towards the development of talent training.

“The coaches will also interact and agree on the date to meet regularly in order to share knowledge and analyse the game,” Watson said.

After meeting the coaches, Williamson and Watson will meet all youth coaches from Uganda Youth Football Association, Youth clubs and academies next Thursday. The meeting will deliberate on how to create a link with the national team coach and discuss training ways with the youth.

These meetings come after Cranes exit from 2010 World Cup/Africa Cup of Nations last weekend.

Shocks as top three lose

It was a black Friday for the three Uganda Super League leading sides who all lost in the latest round of league matches. Simba, previously the only unbeaten side went down 2-1 at home to bogey side Police FC, URA FC lost 1-0 away to Boroboro while KCC reigning League Champions lost for the third time in row by a similar score.

The defeats allowed Nalubaale and Villa who scored 2-0 wins over Kakira and Mbarara to rejoin the title race.

Police were two goals to the good inside 10 minutes thanks to Peter Ssenyonjo and Bruno Olobo former Simba player.

A second half goal by Isaac Isinde was not enough to end Simba’s unbeaten start to the season.

“They were off the block fast and afterwards defended in numbers. The only advantage we retain is top spot after nearest sides KCC and URA both lost,” Ssimbwa told journalists.

While Simba suffered their first loss, KCC have now lost three league games on the trot. Hesbon Mundua scored in the last five minutes to give Kinyara their first win over KCC in the league.

“We were under pressure for the majority of the match, but football is about taking your chances,” Leo Adra, Kinyara coach said.

“Unlike defeats against Simba and Bunamwaya, this was purely hard luck. We created a host of chances to have won the game by a cricket score,” was all George Nsimbe, KCC coach, could say.

Robert Ojok, former Express players scored in injury time for Boroboro against URA who moved down to fourth place. Francis Oringa in Boroboro goal was Man of the Match for a string of super saves he made.

Veteran James Odoch and Aziz Lugonza scored the goals which gave James Magala his first win as coach of Nalubaale since taking over from Romanian Dorian Marin. The win also pushes Bunamwaya to second place on 23 points two behind leaders Simba.

Sixteen times league champions, Villa remain sixth despite a 2-0 win over Mbarara United. Yusuf Juuko and Geoffrey Luutu scored the goals.

In other matches, Dan Sserunkuma and Henry Bagonza gave Express 2-1 win over Youfra, Iganga and Sharing drew 1-1, while Bugerere and Bunamwaya match ended goalless.

Fufa to meet Super Division clubs

Fufa has finally bowed to pressure and agreed to meet the Super Division Clubs Association (SDCA) to kill off a possible boycott of the Uganda Super League. The meeting, the first this season, is scheduled for this coming Friday, October 24 at Fufa House Mengo.

Eng Moses Magogo has sent out invitations to clubs asking them to send two representatives, club chairmen and secretaries for the said meeting.

The clubs under their umbrella, SDCA has threatened to abandon Uganda Super League unless changes are made to Fufa Competition Committee (FCC) set up. The clubs met two weeks ago and demanded a meeting with Lawrence Mulindwa, the federation boss.

SDCA want Eng. Moses Magogo removed as FCC secretary. They accuse him of turning the committee into one man show and making decisions without consulting.

SDCA want seasoned administrators Rajab Kisekka and Ben Omoding, whom they had proposed, to be involved in management of the league fixtures be active on committee.

“Since their appointment nearly two years ago, they have not been used,” Kisekka told KickOffEastAfrica.com two weeks ago.

SDCA also wants FUFA to rescind their decision to fine Express FC $1,200 for abandoning a league with Bunamwaya last month.

Express also lost six points for the act. SDCA was scheduled to meet Sports Minister Charles Bakkabulindi and officials of the Nation Council of Sports (NCS) this week but put off the meeting in order to give Fufa a chance to hear their case.

SDCA has been threatening to start their own league if they don’t get their own way.

Last year, Kisekka who is also acting KCC chairman and board chairman of Nakivubo Stadium and Express official Kavuma Kabenge had threatened a similar move.

The officials were protesting impromptu changes in league fixtures. But the move backfired after the failure to get a consensus from SCDA members. The meeting, the first this season, is scheduled for this coming Friday, October 24 at Fufa House Mengo.

Eng Moses Magogo has sent out invitations to clubs asking them to send two representatives, club chairmen and secretaries for the said meeting.

The clubs under their umbrella, SDCA has threatened to abandon Uganda Super League unless changes are made to Fufa Competition Committee (FCC) set up. The clubs met two weeks ago and demanded a meeting with Lawrence Mulindwa, the federation boss.

SDCA want Eng. Moses Magogo removed as FCC secretary. They accuse him of turning the committee into one man show and making decisions without consulting.

SDCA want seasoned administrators Rajab Kisekka and Ben Omoding, whom they had proposed, to be involved in management of the league fixtures be active on committee.

“Since their appointment nearly two years ago, they have not been used,” Kisekka told KickOffEastAfrica.com two weeks ago.

SDCA also wants FUFA to rescind their decision to fine Express FC $1,200 for abandoning a league with Bunamwaya last month.

Express also lost six points for the act. SDCA was scheduled to meet Sports Minister Charles Bakkabulindi and officials of the Nation Council of Sports (NCS) this week but put off the meeting in order to give Fufa a chance to hear their case.

SDCA has been threatening to start their own league if they don’t get their own way.

Last year, Kisekka who is also acting KCC chairman and board chairman of Nakivubo Stadium and Express official Kavuma Kabenge had threatened a similar move.

The officials were protesting impromptu changes in league fixtures. But the move backfired after the failure to get a consensus from SCDA members.