Kitara Football Club will look to complete the job at home when they host Mogadishu City Council in the decisive second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round on Saturday.
The Ugandan side carries a slender 2-1 advantage into the return fixture at Hoima City Stadium, with a place in the first round at stake.
Club president Deo Kasozi has called on supporters to turn up in large numbers as Kitara seeks to build on its first-leg victory and advance to the next stage of the continental competition.
Speaking to journalists at Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala on Tuesday, Kasozi praised the support the club received during the opening encounter and urged fans to produce an even bigger turnout on Saturday.
“This Saturday, as we host the return leg, I call upon more fans to come in big numbers as we target progress to the next round of the competition,” Kasozi said.
Kitara secured victory in the first leg after Jimmy Kalema scored twice to overturn an early lead given to Mogadishu City Council by Akram Khamis Ilyaas.
Although both legs are being played in Hoima, Mogadishu were officially designated as the hosts for Sunday’s opening fixture, leaving Kitara as the away side.
Kasozi revealed that CAF had approved a capacity of 17,000 spectators for the first leg, with 15,061 tickets sold across the ordinary and VIP categories.
He believes the strong attendance underlined the growing appetite for continental football in Bunyoro and wants supporters to make home advantage count in Saturday’s decisive encounter.
“This is the first time we are hosting a competitive CAF game in Uganda. Kitara Football Club is on track to qualify for the next round. We expect good results. I am only asking for support for fans to come for the home game this Saturday,” he said.
Kitara launch Shs15,000 early-bird offerTo encourage another big turnout, Kitara have introduced a Shs15,000 early-bird offer for ordinary tickets.
Ordinary tickets will ordinarily cost Shs20,000, while VIP tickets are priced at Shs50,000 for the preliminary-round second leg, which kicks off at 4pm.
The early-bird promotion will run from 7am to 1pm on Wednesday, with supporters able to purchase the discounted ordinary tickets physically from Kitara’s two offices in Hoima.
The six-hour offer represents a 25 percent discount and is part of the club’s efforts to mobilise supporters after the impressive attendance for the first leg.
Kasozi also expressed his appreciation to the fans who travelled to support Kitara during the opening encounter.
“We applaud the fans who came to watch the first-leg game against Mogadishu City Council during our away game,” he said.
Hoima support becoming Kitara’s weapon
Playing continental football in Hoima marks an important shift for Kitara, whose previous African campaign was affected by circumstances that forced the club to stage its home matches outside Uganda.
The first leg therefore gave supporters in Bunyoro an opportunity to watch Kitara compete in continental football on home soil, albeit with Mogadishu officially designated as the hosts.
Kasozi believes the connection between the club and its supporters can become an important weapon as Kitara attempt to progress beyond the Somali champions.
Kitara will also enter Saturday’s match with their technical area strengthened after Kasozi clarified the circumstances surrounding the 40-minute delay to kick-off in the first leg.
The club president attributed the delay to issues concerning bench permits for members of the technical team. The matter has since been resolved, with head coach Wasswa Bbosa expected to receive a provisional licence allowing him to occupy the technical area on Saturday.
Kasozi further acknowledged the Government of Uganda’s financial support to football clubs, describing the intervention as important to the development and competitiveness of Ugandan football on the continental stage.
“Any sort of money to football is much appreciated. We therefore thank the Government of Uganda for the financial support,” he said.
Kitara will progress to the CAF Confederation Cup first round if they successfully protect their aggregate advantage against Mogadishu City Council.
A victory would send the Royals through, while a defeat would put their qualification hopes under pressure depending on the final scoreline and the competition’s applicable tie-breaking procedures.
The winner of the tie will face Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the first round.
The specific weather conditions in Hoima present a challenge for attendance. My previous experience suggested similar logistical hurdles during peak matches.