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SC Villa need goals
League MVP Kakande was the bright spark for SC Villa at the ongoing Cecafa Kagame Cup. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
League MVP Patrick Kakande who was the team’s top scorer in the league last season with nine goals, as expected provided the few sparks in the game forcing a save from EL Merriekh’s goalkeeper Juma Awad from a tight angle.
SC Villa have been left playing early catch-up after the opening round of their group games as the Cecafa Kagame Cup returned after a three-year absence on Tuesday.
The Ugandan champions who have three Cecafa titles to their name played out a goalless draw with South Sudan side El Merriekh Bentiu on Tuesday evening.
The result, coupled with APR’s 1-0 win over Tanzania’s Singida Black Stars means the Rwandan side top the four team group after match-day one.
The top team in each of the three groups and the best runners up from any of the groups will automatically qualify for the semi-final stage.
That already puts the Jogoos at an early disadvantage and probably needing to win their final two group games to guarantee progress to the semifinals.
On the basis of Tuesday’s display against the debutants from South Sudan, that appears to be a herculean task and left SC Villa’s Serbian coach Dusan Stojanovic lamenting about the team’s long term problem.
“If you do not score you don’t win games. We are not scoring enough goals. Even last season it was the same problem, missing many chances. But this is the first game and we shall look to improve,” Stojanovic bemoaned.
Despite the club signing six players ahead of this tournament, the club appears not to have solved the goal scoring problems from last season.
They won the domestic league on the back of displaying fast flowing counter attacking football, Tuesday’s game however was one where they struggled to create goal scoring opportunities.
League MVP Patrick Kakande who was the team’s top scorer in the league last season with nine goals, as expected provided the few sparks in the game forcing a save from EL Merriekh’s goalkeeper Juma Awad from a tight angle.
Charles Lwanga sent the rebound wide and that remained the direction of the game as Villa rarely troubled the El Merreikh goalkeeper despite hogging close to 60% possession.
Stojanovic later sent on forward Reegan Mpande, Isaac Mpagi, Elvis Ngonde and peter Onzima as Villa pursued the match needed winner against the physical South Sudanese.
They will however have to be sharper against Singida who also have their backs against the wall on Friday.
