KCCA youngster Allan Okello will fancy his chances of a starting role against Tanzania this and next week when the Cranes take on the Taifa Stars.
Uganda are hosting their home African Nations Cup qualifier from Ismailia, Egypt after St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende fell short of CAF’s required standards.
The two face off this Friday in the first leg before meeting again four days later in Dar es Salaam.
Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic has named 10 StarTimes Uganda Premier League players among his 27-man squad to play the two fixtures against Tanzania.
Okello, 23 in July, is one of the 10 local based players giving Micho good options to break down the Tanzanians.
The gifted forward can play across the front three and has the ability to see a pass where no one else sees one.
On a season-long loan from Algerian side Paradou, Okello has started his KCCA’s return on a good note.
His four goals, several assists and general play have KCCA top of the league table on 35 points after 16 matches.
SC Villa are second on 31 points having played a game more.
Now, Okello will be looking to carry his good run to the national team, who desperately need to get going after losing to Algeria and drawing with Niger in Uganda’s opening two games.
The Cranes are at the bottom of Group F, and know that picking positive results from the two matches against Tanzania will revive their chances of qualifying for Afcon 2023.
Okello could yet play an important role in that cause should Micho trust him with the responsibility behind the strikers.
The youngster has played and excelled at every age group of the game.
He won the 2019 FUFA Men’s Player of the Year, his form seeing him snapped by Paradou.
Okello joined KCCA Soccer Academy in 2015 and played for the club’s Junior Team in the FUFA Juniors League for two years.
He then rose through the ranks and later made his debut for KCCA senior team on 27th February 2017 at 16 years old.
The left-footed player bagged a hattrick on his debut against Onduparaka in a game that ended 7-0 in favor of KCCA.
Okello later played for KCCA in the CAF Confederation Cup and CAF Champions League in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
During his first stint at KCCA, Okello played 112 games and scored a total of 39 goals in three years.
At the time of his departure for AC Paradou in January 2020, Okello was the club’s top scorer in the Uganda Premier League with six goals in the 10 games he played in the first round of the 2019/2020 season.
Additional material from KCCA FC Media