SC Villa succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to CBE in the first leg of the first preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.The UPL champions fell behind in the twentieth minute.Former Bul forward Simon Peter Oketch netted against his country’s sole representatives in this competition.
Adid Gedey then doubled the lead for the Ethiopian league champions ten minutes after half time.And then substitute Elvis Ngonde halved the deficit in with just over twenty minutes to go.The Jogoos were,however,unable to find an equaliser.Their day then went from bad to worse when Charles Lwanga received a straight red card in the dying minutes for an awful foul.
The fixture took place at a largely empty Mandela National Stadium,Namboole,after Villa decided to price ordinary tickets for their first Champions League appearance in twenty years at a hefty fifty thousand shillings.The fans stayed away,and a historic match was played to a backdrop of empty seats.
Morley Byekwaso’s side will now have to win by two clear goals in the return leg,slated for next weekend in Addis Ababa,to progress.
The going was not any better in the CAF Confederation Cup as Stanbic Uganda Cup winners Kitara FC lost their first ever continental match 3-2 to Al Hilal Benghazi of Libya on Friday.Another Ugandan forward put a Ugandan team to the sword,when international striker Shaban Muhammad nodded in as early as the fourth minute.
A Talha Rizik goal scarcely fifteen minutes later put the Libyans two up,a lead they kept going into the interval.Kitara mirrored Villa further when goalkeeper Crispus Kusiima received a red card shortly after the break for handling the ball outside his area.
Brian Aheebwa’s goal just after the hour mark gave Kitara hope,but Benghazi quickly restored their two goal lead from the penalty spot.Denis Omedi then scored with ten minutes left but Kitara could not find a leveller.
The Royals now need to win the second leg,which will also be played at the same venue after Kitara were denied use of both Namboole and Kitende,by a two goal margin in order to progress.
