Tusker boss Nkata to prop up squad for continental duty

Tusker FC Head Coach Paul Nkata has revealed he intends to strengthen his team during the close of the season despite their successful 2016 campaign that saw them clinch the domestic double.

The Brewers occupied the summit Kenyan Premier League (KPL) for close to seven months, finishing their campaign with a comfortable seven points above their closest challengers and dethroned champions, Gor Mahia FC, but Nkata maintains there is a need to enhance the side.

The Ugandan tactician highlighted that by topping up their GOtv Shield Cup success with the coveted KPL crown, the Brewers had now cast themselves up into the limelight as the team to beat next season.

“I would have maintained my players if I had not won the two titles but the fact that we have to defend these two titles and play well in the CAF Champions League I have to strengthen my team. For now I haven’t identified the players needed but in future I will be introducing some new players,” Nkata told Citizen Digital.

Nkata will lead the Brewers to his native land where they will play the current Ugandan Premier League table-toppers Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) FC on Saturday in their first friendly match as they test their might for the 2017 CAF Champions League.

KCCA – who have no league action until December 3 – already secured their qualification for the continental championship and will both play a series of matches as they set their early preparations rolling.

“We are going to Uganda because many teams have been yearning to play against the “double double” champions but after that we will come back home and relax unless we get more invitations,” the former Muhoroni Youth and Nairobi City Stars manager explained.

Nkata who wedged past Sofapaka FC Interim boss John Baraza and Posta Rangers’ Pascal Ochieng to earn his maiden recognition as the Fidelity Insurance/Sports Journalist Association of Kenya (SJAK) coach of the month for November said working on the basics with the quality of players at his disposal was one of the main reasons that his team stood out above the rest.

“My experience in Kenya has been so good simply because I used to train young boys in Uganda and so when I came here I found out that most of the players were lacking the basics. We had to work on them to attain finished products and you can see for yourselves how positive the results have turned out to be,” he stated.

The 2017 CAF Champions League will be the 53rd edition of Africa’s premier club football tournament with the group stage expanded from eight to 16 teams, divided into four groups of four for the first time.

The winners of the 2017 CAF Champions League will qualify as the CAF representative at the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and also earn the right to play against the winners of the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup in the 2018 CAF Super Cup. South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns are the defending champions.