Habib Mugalula, the head coach of Nile Leopards, has admitted that it will be an uphill battle for his side and the rest of the teams to stop Central Rhinos in the upcoming Batball X tournament.
The tournament, which bowls off on Tuesday, August 15, will feature six teams: Nile Leopards, Central Rhinos, Northern Elephants, Western Bulls, Eastern Buffalos, and Rwanda Emerging.
The Rhinos are the favorites to win the tournament, as they have a number of top youngsters who feature for the national U-19 boys team.
Yunusu Sowobi, Christopher Kidega, Jaffer Ochaya, Conrad Lubwama, Ali Balidawa, Anas Baig, Fahad Mutagana, Musa Majid, and Ronald Omara are all Rhinos players who also play for the Baby Cricket Cranes.
Mugalula, whose team is in Group B alongside Northern Elephants and Eastern Buffalos, is convinced that the rest of the teams will have a hard time upsetting the Rhinos.
“They have had a lengthy run in preparation with the national team so they definitely have an advantage over the other teams,” he said.
“They have a very good team. We are going to play; try to give ourselves a shot at it, but truthfully, the rest of us are underdogs.”
Mugalula’s team face Eastern Buffalos in their opening game on Tuesday morning at the Jinja Cricket Oval before taking on Northern Elephants in the afternoon.
Central Rhinos first game will be against Western Bulls on the same day at the Lugogo Cricket Oval. And in the afternoon, they will face Rwanda Emerging.
The return legs that will determine who progresses to the Super 4 will be played on Wednesday.
Courtesy Photos
