KCCA FC will be looking forward to ending their three-year league trophy drought when they kick off the 2022/23 Uganda Premier League season with an outing against Wakiso Giants FC at Lugogo on Saturday.
In search of a solution to the aforementioned challenge, the Kasasiro Boys got busy in the market and signed 12 players.
Head coach Morley Byekwaso, has backed the recruits to help the club have a successful season.
“We have recruited new players mainly in the attacking positions,” Byekwaso said during his pre-match press conference on Friday.
“Failure to score goals was our biggest challenge last season and we have improved in that department with outstanding players that I think will help us succeed.”
“Players like Allan Okello, Muhammad Shaban, Moses Waiswa, and Tshisungu Kankonde can not be doubted and whenever they are fit they will benefit the team a lot,” he added.
KCCA always come into every new season as one of the favourites to win the title and they are once again.
Even though they finished last season far behind the champions Vipers SC in terms of points attained.
In the second place, they gathered 56 points, 18 adrift of the venom who were on 74 and Byekwaso is well aware of the task at hand if KCCA is to dethrone Vipers.
“Of course at this club, the motive is to always win titles and I think we have no excuse whatsoever this season, and we shall have to produce good results.”
“The squad that we have this time around is well balanced compared to the one we had last season and it is essential.”
Besides Okello, Shaban, Waiswa, and Kankonde, Mustafa Mujuzi, Muhamed Ssenoga, and teenagers Faisal Wabyoona and Saidi Mayanja are some of the other players that were signed.
In Wakiso Giants the 13-time UPL champions will play a side they are familiar with on an opening day.
It will be the third time in four seasons that KCCA and Wakiso Giants face off at the start of the campaign and the former has won on both occasions.
However, Saturday’s visitors won 1-0 the last time they visited Lugogo: “We are much aware of them given that they defeated us in the last game,” Byekwaso noted.
“Back then, things were not going the right way, and we were a bit nervous about ourselves with positive results not coming through but this is a new season and we want to have a good start.”
Besides Peter Magambo and Herbert Achai who were not licensed because of long-term injuries, all the other KCCA players are available for selection.
Wakiso Giants will have a new coach in the dugout in John ‘Ayala’ Luyinda who has termed his first game a tough test.
“Playing against KCCA is always tough and it will be but we are mentally and physically ready to battle and optimistic about picking a good result,” Luyinda noted.
The Purple Sharks will be without goalkeeper Samson Kirya and forward Joshua Lubwama who are on national duty with the Uganda Sand Cranes.
