Stanbic Uganda Cup champions Kitara have confirmed that they will be hosting their upcoming TotalEnergies CAF Confederations Cup home games at the Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.
In a phone call with NBS Sport, Kitara president Deo Kasozi revealed that the club will be using Namboole stadium for their home CAF Confederations Cup games saying, “Kitara Football Club will be hosting their CAF Confederation games at Namboole.”
Kasosi also said that the club will be using the stadium as a home ground starting with the FUFA Super 8 Tournament, which serves as a warm-up for the upcoming StarTimes Uganda Premier League season.
“In fact starting with the Super 8, we shall be using Namboole as our home ground in preparation of the confederation games,” Kasozi said.
He however stated that Kitara will be using its pitch in Masindi to host games for the upcoming Uganda Premier League 2024/25 season.
Kitara qualified for the CAF Confederations Cup after winning the Stanbic Uganda Cup against NEC on 25th May.
The club will first play the qualification phase of the tournament, and upon qualifying, they’ll move on to the main phase.
Kasozi expressed confidence in his team’s preparedness for the competition, stating that they will travel to Ethiopia on Thursday to face Mechal Sports Club in a test game.
“We’re extremely prepared and tomorrow (Thursday), we’re setting off to go to Ethiopia for a test game, then when we return we shall also be able to have some practice games in preparation for the confederation,” he added.
Kitara will play Ethiopia’s Mechal Sports Club on Sunday, July 14th in a friendly game as part of the Ethiopian club’s celebrations to mark their 80th anniversary.
Kasozi noted that although hosting home games at Namboole will be like hosting away from home, he is confident that that Kitara’s passionate fans will come in large numbers to support their team during the CAF Confederations Cup, just as they did during away games last season.
“It may not necessarily be an advantage to us given that it is away from home but we have nothing to do. That is the field which is available to host the confederation games,” Kasozi said.
“But our fans will be able to travel (to Namboole). You saw how they travelled to Lugogo, Kitende, Wankulukuku, so there’s no problem with fans travelling,” he added.
The president however assured the fans that the stadium, which the club is constructing in Hoima, will be ready in a few years and it’ll be set to international standards to host tournaments like the CAF Confederations Cup.
“But in the next few years we shall have our home pitch in Hoima, given that we’re constructing an international stadium there.”
