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SC Villa nullified in near-empty Namboole
SC Villa's Isaac Mpagi avoids a challenge from CBE's Suleman Hamid. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
Star forward Patrick Kakande then chose to have probably his worst game in Villa colours, narrowly missing the target after being put through on goal by the impressive Isaac Mpagi in the first half.
Playing in the Caf Champions League for the first time in 19 years was supposed to be the crowning moment for the success SC Villa achieved in winning last season's Uganda Premier League title.
The importance of the occasion and the need to cover some expenses for the Champions League return leg against Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) led the Villa administration to price Saturday's preliminary round first leg at the Mandela National Stadium in Namboole at Shs50,000 for the ordinary ticket.
The cost of the ordinary ticket, arguably the highest ever pricing in local football and the uncertainty surrounding the availability of the stadium to host the game consequently dominated the headlines in the lead up to Saturday's encounter.
The two issues created a negative atmosphere that ended with an abysmal showing as Villa suffered a 2-1 defeat to CBE in a near-empty Namboole stadium to leave them needing to win by a two goal margin in the return leg in Ethiopia to progress to the next round.
"We had some problems this week and we could not access the pitch. We only had little time to use it on the day before the game," SC Villa head coach Morley Byekwaso said after the game.
And while he has valid grievances about any home advantage being taken away from his side, Byekwaso and his team can also be accused of failing to grasp the importance of the game.
Their Ethiopian opponents showed more aggression and duly punished a lacklustre Villa side punished by a Simon Peter Oketch strike.
The former Bul FC forward was allowed time and space to turn and shoot in the box past Villa goalkeeper Brady Wokorach on 19 minutes for a 1-0 lead.
Star forward Patrick Kakande then chose to have probably his worst game in Villa colours, narrowly missing the target after being put through on goal by the impressive Isaac Mpagi in the first half.
The diminutive playmaker then wasted another opportunity to pull his level in the second half by opting to shoot from a tight angle after side stepping the goalkeeper instead of passing to teammate Elvis Ngonde.
Substitute Ngonde had earlier pulled a goal back for Villa with a low strike that went in off the post after Adid Gedey had added the second goal for CBE on 55 minutes.
Ngonde had also been part of a rather strange triple substitution by Byekwaso who brought on Charles Lwanga and Hakim Kiwanuka for young striker Andrew Otim, Najib Yiga and Tony Atukunda.
Holding midfielder Atukunda had looked like one of Villa's best players on the day but was taken off despite the visibly half-fit Ronald Ssekiganda constantly losing possession.
A red card to Lwanga for a studs-up challenge left Villa with not only 10 men for the last 15 minutes but with a mountain to climb in the second leg this weekend.
"We may have been poor here but we can be better there. We still believe in ourselves that we can get a result there," Byekwaso, like his team, struggled to convince in the post match press conference.
Caf Champions League
First Preliminary Round
Result - first leg
SC Villa 1-2 CBE (Ethiopia)
Second leg - Saturday
CBE vs SC Villa
