Kitara midfielder Emmanuel Wasswa believes experience within the squad can prove decisive when the Royals begin their CAF Confederation Cup campaign on Sunday.
Kitara face Mogadishu City Club at Hoima City Stadium, where they will attempt to establish an advantage before the second leg.
For Wasswa, the continental assignment also provides Kitara’s players with an opportunity to demonstrate their quality beyond Uganda’s domestic competitions.
“This is an opportunity for us to showcase our qualities and abilities at the highest level in Africa,” Wasswa said.
“We are ready and set to give the best result we can on Sunday, so that we reach the second leg above them.”
Kitara qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup after winning the 2026 Uganda Cup, a triumph Wasswa believes demonstrated the importance of experienced players.
The midfielder feels those same qualities will be needed against Mogadishu City, where managing important moments could determine the outcome of the tie.
“The experience matters a lot at this level because we used it to win the Uganda Cup and qualify for CAF,” Wasswa explained.
“We have players like Murshid Jjuko, Joel Mutakubwa, myself and others, and we can use that experience to qualify for the next level.”
Jjuko brings considerable experience from international football, while goalkeeper Mutakubwa has also featured in demanding domestic and continental environments during his career.
Wasswa himself has accumulated experience across Uganda’s domestic competitions, giving Kitara several players accustomed to handling matches carrying significant pressure.
That experience becomes particularly important during two-legged continental football, where mistakes can prove costly and game management often becomes critical.
Kitara will nevertheless have another factor working in their favour when continental football arrives at their home ground in Hoima.
Playing at Hoima City Stadium gives the Royals familiar surroundings and, importantly, an opportunity to perform before their own supporters.
Wasswa believes that connection with the supporters can provide extra motivation as Kitara seek control of the tie before the return encounter.
“It is a joy to play in such a stadium because we can showcase what we have here in front of our fans,” Wasswa said.
“They push us, and we promise them a good game so that maybe we can go into the second leg above them.”
Kitara’s task will therefore be to turn their familiarity with Hoima into the result required to strengthen their qualification prospects.
The players have spoken repeatedly about the significance of bringing continental football home after previously having to stage such matches away from Bunyoro.
For Wasswa, however, Sunday must ultimately be about producing a performance worthy of the occasion and taking an advantage into the return fixture.
With experienced heads throughout the squad and supporters behind them, Kitara believe they have enough ingredients to make their home surroundings count.
The challenge now is turning those advantages into goals, control and ultimately a result capable of moving them closer towards the next round.