Uganda Cranes midfielder Taddeo Lwanga will be playing against his former club SC Villa in the 2024 CECAFA Kagame Club Championship this month in Tanzania.
The 2023/24 StarTimes Uganda Premier League champions and Lwanga’s APR FC who also won the 2023/24 Rwanda Premier League were both pooled in Group C at the group stage draw conducted in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday.
Lwanga was quick to recognise the Jogoos’ progress when contacted by this reporter after the draw was made.
“Villa is a good team with young, talented, and exciting players,” Lwanga said before noting the improvement of club.
“It’s been a long time since I was there and also when I last played against them but everyone can see that they have improved so much,” he added.
“They nearly won the title in the 2022/23 season, unfortunately lost it on the final day of the season. Bouncing back with the same courage and determination the following season is what surprised many,” he further noted.
“I expect them to have a good tournament and they will pose a challenge to us but we are also equally determined to take on the competition,” he concluded.
Lwanga is also a former captain of the 17-time SUPL champions, a side he played for between 2015 and 2017 when he joined from arch rivals Express.
He would later move to Vipers and played in a couple of games against Villa before leaving Uganda after he helped the Cranes to reach the Round of 16 in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Singida Black Stars and El Mereik Bentui from Tanzania and South Sudan, respectively are the other teams that make up Group C.
Villa’s league-mates Express were the winners of the competition the last time it was held in the same country in 2021.
When the tournament kicks off on July 9, Villa will hoping to emerge champions for the fourth time on July 21.
