by Sande Bashaija
Wandegeya
Today at YMC
St Michael v Bushcourt 5:30pm
Berkeley v Livingstone 7pm
KCC Lions v Ndejje 8:30pm
In a way, coach Mande Baker has parted ways with Kampala City Council (KCC) Lions. Whereas Baker blames it on his tight work schedule at International School of Uganda (ISU), KCC Lions management says the coach was asked to take a break following indifferent results.
“Players were blaming him (Baker) for their performances. We couldn’t sack him because we know he is not to blame, but the players themselves,” KCC treasurer Dennis Karugaba told Daily Monitor yesterday.
After 14 MTN-Fuba League games, KCC Lions are rooted at the bottom of the 10-team topflight table with only one victory. Baker last handled the team on August 29 in a losing effort against Kampala International University (KIU) but Lions have still failed to register victory in their last two outings.
Tonight, the mayor’s boys confront Ndejje University Angels at YMCA Wandegeya hoping to bring their losing streak to an end. But they have to do that without Baker, the man who guided the team from Third Division through to the second tier and now First Division.
Lions have the potential to pull-off an upset but Angels coach Walker Obedi is taking nothing for granted. “We can’t take chances with KCC. We know what they are capable of doing and will come out strong for that game,” Obedi whose team are targeting to finish fourth and qualify for the play-offs, said.
Ndejje beat KCC Lions 81-74 in the first round and must win tonight’s clash to stand a chance of edging KIU, Nkumba and Miracle to fourth position.