Confederations Cup 1st leg – KCC 3 -1 Bayelsa 2nd leg- Bayelsa 4-0 KCC Bayelsa progress on goal aggregates (5-3) Rwanda’s rising star, Omar Hitimana and his Ugandan soccer side KCC, missed out on Caf’s big money after being knocked out of the Confederations Cup. The Ugandan soccer league champions were destroyed by Nigeria’s Bayelsa after Sunday’s 4-0 defeat at the Ogara Township stadium. KCC walked into the match with a 3-1 first leg advantage and needed a draw or to lose by a one goal margin for them to progress to the next stage. However, it was not to be. A brace from Stanley Ohawuchi and one each from Gbemi Akinrolabu and Osas Okoro secured victory for the home side although the margin could have been bigger against an out-of-sorts KCC which scarcely looked like scoring. KCC’s appalling defending in particular has been widely blamed for the defeat. According to Uganda’s daily monitor, KCC defenders Godfrey Kavulu, Sam Senoga and Hitimana simply didn’t show up in a match that the Nigerian side could have won by an even bigger score. Despite being quoted as saying, “we shall use every sinew of their muscles…we have been complaining about our salaries but now is the time to die on the pitch,” Hitimana, overlooked for Amavubi’s crunch 2010 World Cup/CAN qualifier against Zambia this Saturday, was at fault for Ohawuchi’s opening goal in the 10th minute and was promptly replaced by Moses Musoke in the 19th minute, three minutes after Bayelsa doubled its advantage. KCC’s forwards Brian Umony and Robert Ssentongo tried to fight back but it was all in vain. KCC’s defending was appalling. “Our defending was poor,” admitted KCC coach George Nsimbe. “The first three goals were gifts.” Nsimbe also partly attributed the defeat to the team’s tiring trip from Entebbe via Addis Ababa and Lagos but KCC’s midfielder Patrick Ssenfuka admitted that the hosts were a better side and deserved to win. Bayelsa United are now through to the next Confederations Cup stage where qualifiers are assured of a minimum of about Frw 107m. Ends
