KCCA FC’s CAF Confederation Cup adventure concluded in the second preliminary round, even though they secured a 3-2 victory against Libyan side Abu Salem at St. Mary’s Stadium in Kitende. The aggregate score favored Salem at 5-4, as they had previously won the first leg 3-1 in Tunisia.

Hope filled the hearts of KCCA fans when Muhammad Shaban provided the home team with a first-half lead. However, Salem managed to equalize through Abdulmunem Aleiyan’s penalty in the second half, following a foul by James Mubezi on Peter Nworah.

KCCA made a comeback with a late strike from substitute Usama Arafat, making it 3-2. Nevertheless, the visitors leveled the score shortly afterward with Mohamed Elghadi’s goal on a counter-attack. Usama responded once more with another goal to make it 3-2, but it was not enough for KCCA, who were eliminated 5-4 on aggregate.

Despite the disappointment, KCCA FC coach Sergio Traguil praised his players for their character and performance. He remarked, “We may have been eliminated, but we displayed a commendable performance. Inexperience played a part, but we are also in the process of building a strong team. We will continue to improve over time.”

Salem’s coach, Chokri Khatoui, credited his team for their victory and strategic approach. He stated, “We came with a strategy to avoid conceding too many goals, and we also knew that scoring was crucial to staying in the game, which we managed to do.”

With their CAF Confederation Cup campaign now concluded, KCCA FC will shift their focus to the Uganda Premier League title.