Kitara have taken a tough decision ahead of their maiden continental appearance.
The Royals have been left with no option but to seek asylum in Libya for the first leg of the first round of the CAF Confederation Cup preliminaries against Al Hilal SC, Benghazi.
In the first place, the Uganda Premier League side thought they were going to use the refurbished Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.
However, the stadium management responded to their request noting that facility was not available for use because the upgrading process is still ongoing with focus on the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September.
The impact of the recently concluded Africa Rugby Cup at Namboole where Zimbabwe emerged champions was also highlighted as a hindrance.
In receipt of the unavailability of Namboole, the Hoima-based outfit resorted to St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende, home of Vipers SC as an alternative.
Similarly, the management of Kitende informed their counterparts of Kitara that the Stadium is occupied already with an event that can’t be called off on short notice.
Thereafter, Kitara decided to host the first leg at Benina Martyrs Stadium in the Benghazi City of Libya which is the home to their opponents Al Hilal.
“The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that Kitara Football Club will host the first leg of the 1st preliminary round of the 2024/25 CAF Confederation Cup against Al Hilal Benghazi in Libya,” a club statement read before adding.
“Kitara had initially hoped to host the match in the country but unforeseen circumstances made this unworkable,” it added.
The above means that after the first leg on Friday, August 16, Al Hilal will host Kitara in the second leg a week later at the same facility.
It is also logical that Brian Ssenyondo’s coached team will have to camp in Libya longer than expected.
To qualify for the Confederation Cup, Kitara won the Stanbic Uganda Cup, defeating NEC FC in the final.
