Uganda Premier League side NEC FC will step onto the continental stage for the very first time this Saturday when they welcome Kenyan side Nairobi United to Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo, for the opening leg of their CAF preliminary tie.
Coach Hussein Mbalangu’s squad enters the contest looking to shrug off a 2-0 setback suffered against SC Villa in the FUFA Super 8. While that result was far from ideal, the coach believes it offered valuable rehearsal ahead of this high-stakes clash.
The Ugandan outfit are tipped as favourites on home turf, yet Nairobi United carry their own fairytale story. Having only just secured promotion to the Kenyan Premier League, they stunned giants Gor Mahia to clinch the FKF Cup and secure their maiden ticket to Africa’s elite competition.
“We can’t underrate them because they have a similar path like us,” Mbalangu warned, as he talked to the club media.
“The first goal is to win, and the second goal is to eliminate them and go as far as possible in this competition,” he added with conviction.
NEC’s rise to the continental spotlight was sealed after they finished runners-up in the Uganda Premier League, with Vipers taking the domestic double. To make a winning impression, the Bugolobi-based club will lean on seasoned campaigners such as Muzamir Mutyaba, Siraje Sentamu, Benjamin Ochan, Paul Mucureezi, Mustafa Kiiza and Ibrahim Kiyemba, all players who have previously tested themselves in CAF competitions.
