Africa-Press – Uganda. CASABLANCA. The one thing that has stood at the ongoing Fifa Club World Cup is the colour and cauldron of noise created by Wydad Casablanca.
While the Moroccan club, also African champions, were ejected from the competition, their fans left an inedible mark
Their rivals – Raja Casablanca – will be different. They will miss the fans as they serve a continental ban.
However, there will be hostility that Ugandan champions Vipers must overcome when they make their Caf Champions League group stage debut on Friday here.
Vipers arrived in Morocco on Wednesday night ahead of their first game against Raja at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, the country’s biggest city.
Three-time African champions Raja will be hunting a fast start in group C that also includes Guinea’s Horoya and Simba from Tanzania.
With only the top two advancing to the quarterfinals, Vipers coach Beto Bianchi, unveiled last month, must avoid mistakes made on past travels.
The Venoms have not been very good travelers on the continent. Their first away game ended in a 2-0 loss at Nigeria’s Enyimba in 2016.
A year later, they drew 1-all at VC De Moroni of Comoros in the Caf Confederation Cup.
They then lost 3-1 in South Africa to Platinum Stars in 2017. That was followed by El Merriekh inflicting a 2-1 defeat in Sudan.
They have lost 1-0 in Algeria to Constantine. Tomorrow is an opportunity to turn a totally new page with some lessons from a local rival in KCCA.
During their two-group stage runs in the 2016-17 Caf Confederation Cup and 2017-18 Caf Champions League, KCCA were 1-0 down inside the opening 15 minutes in three of the six minutes.
This is the phase when these fans are screaming hoarse for their team and whistling every touch by the opposition.
Bianchi and his visiting side will want to do the unthinkable – shut the green army up early.
VIPERS SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Alfred Mudekereza, Fabien Mutombora.
Defenders: Murushid Juuko, Livingstone Mulondo, Dissan Galiwango, Hilary Mukundane, Isa Mubiru, Ashraf Mandela.
Midfielders: Abdu Lumala, Bright Anukani, Siraje Sentamu, Olivier Osomba, Robert Serge Mwenge, Abdu Karim Watambala.
Forwards: Martin Kizza, Yunus Sentamu, Milton Karisa, Israel Desire Tety.
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