KCCA of Uganda visit Nkana on Saturday seeking revenge for a 12-year grudge when they meet at the Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe in a 2014 CAF Champions League first round, first leg match.
Nkana are unbeaten against KCCA from their last meeting in 1992 in the second round of the old CAF Africa Club Champions cup, the forerunner of the Champions League.
The Zambian club beat KCCA 4-0 away in Kampala and completed their domination over the Ugandans’ with a 2-0 home win on their way to a quarterfinal exit at the hands of eventual champions Wydad Casablanca.
Memories are still very fresh for KCCA coach George Nsimbe who was a player in that vanquished side and believes it is now his duty to seek retribution.
“Nkana is not as strong as it used to be in the 1990’s,” Nsimbe said. “I want to make sure we beat them because last time I lost as a player in 1992. It would be good to beat them as a coach.”
Nsimbe has every right to feel bullish especially after KCCA’s giant-killing act preliminary round result over El Merriekh of Sudan who they eliminated 3-2 on aggregate.
The major highlight of that tie was KCCA’s 2-0 away win over El Merriekh before the latter gave the Uganda champions a second leg scare with a 2-1 away win in Kampala.
Striker Tony Odur who scored two goals over the two legs and Herman Wasswa who found the target in Khartoum are both in the travelling party to the Copperbelt.
Meanwhile, Nkana coach Masauso Mwale has tried very hard not to be drawn into a war of words with Nsimbe ahead of this weekend’s showdown.
“Some coaches have spoken like that; ‘We have come finish you, we have come to do this’, but at the end they do not even want to talk to the press after saying a lot of these things,” Mwale said.
The good news for Mwale is key striker Ronald Kampamba is back after missing Nkana’s 3-1 Charity Shield win over Red Arrows last Saturday due to a shoulder injury.
Kampamba has so far scored a brace in the competition but the spotlight will be on his new signing Simon Bwalya.
Bwalya scored a hat-trick in a 5-2 win over Mbabane Swallows in the last round and five goals overall for Nkana this season.
The return leg is set for Kampala next Saturday to determine who goes through to the pre-group stage to face either Zamalek of Egypt or Angolan club Kabuscorp.
Source: Supersport
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