SC Villa announces selling points, ticket prices for CBE tie

BY Justine Nalubega

The 17-time league champions SC Villa are set to make their first appearance in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League in 19 years, facing Ethiopian side Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE). The first leg of the preliminary round will take place on Saturday, August 17th, at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole. During a media briefing at the Mandela Group offices in Industrial Area, head coach Morley Byekwaso Ochama expressed optimism about the team's performance, drawing confidence from their recent participation in the FUFA Super 8 tournament. "The Super 8 matches served as preparatory fixtures, allowing us to gauge the team's strengths. We've faced challenges in converting opportunities, but we're working to address this following our exit from the Super 8. Although our experience is limited, we believe in the quality we currently possess. CBE is a formidable opponent, adept at maintaining possession in tight spaces, which will require us to exert significant effort to disrupt their play," Byekwaso remarked. Under Byekwaso's guidance, SC Villa has endured three consecutive competitive defeats, including two losses in the ongoing FUFA Super 8 tournament against the Uganda Cranes Select team, and another against NEC FC. Tickets for the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League match will be priced at 50,000 UGX for ordinary seats and 100,000 UGX for VIP seating, available exclusively at City Oil outlets. CBE is scheduled to arrive at Entebbe Airport on Thursday, August 16th, via Ethiopian Airlines. The tickets will go on sale starting Wednesday, August 14th. The match will be officiated by referees from Zambia, with a match commissioner from Djibouti. SC Villa also plans to unveil new squad additions, following the departure of several key players at the end of the season, including captain Kenneth Ssemakula, Gavin Kizito Mungeri, Joseph Kafumbe, Umar Lutalo, Hamza Mulambuzi, and Abasi Kyeyune.