AFC Leopards will host Ugandan giants KCCA FC in a high-profile pre-season friendly at Ulinzi Sports Complex on Saturday, August 22, as coach Fred Ambani uses the international test to fine-tune his revamped squad ahead of the 2026/27 FKF Premier League campaign.
The match, scheduled for 4 pm, was initially expected to be played at Nyayo National Stadium before being moved to Ulinzi Sports Complex. Tickets have been set at Sh500 for VIP and Sh200 for the terraces, with the encounter expected to give Ingwe supporters their first close look at several of the club’s new arrivals.
Ambani has placed considerable emphasis on using pre-season matches to establish the identity of a team that finished second last season and is now determined to go one step further.
“For me, the result is important, but it is not the only thing we are looking at,” Ambani said, explaining that the technical bench is more interested in how the players execute their plans under match conditions.
The coach has overseen an extensive recruitment drive as Leopards seek to end their long wait for the league title, bringing in experienced players from Kenya and beyond while also strengthening competition in key positions.
Uganda Cranes midfielder Taddeo Lwanga is among the biggest additions, having joined from Vipers SC, while Gambian striker Musa Ceesay has been recruited to add greater firepower in attack. Goalkeepers Tom Ikara and Sebastian Wekesa have also arrived, alongside defender Robinson Musungu and winger Erick Balecho.
The arrival of such players has increased competition throughout the squad, something Ambani believes will be essential if Leopards are to sustain a title challenge over a demanding campaign.
“Nobody should feel that his place is guaranteed because everybody has to earn the shirt,” he said, making it clear that reputation and past achievements will not automatically secure a starting position.
The KCCA encounter therefore comes at an important stage of preparations, giving Ambani another opportunity to assess combinations and determine which players are adapting fastest to his tactical demands.
“We want to see our structure, our reaction when we lose the ball, and how quickly we can create opportunities,” Ambani said.
That emphasis on tactical discipline has featured prominently in Leopards’ preparations, particularly as the coach seeks to blend experienced campaigners with new signings and create a side capable of handling the pressure that comes with challenging for major honours.
The international friendly will also provide a different examination from domestic opposition, with KCCA bringing their own competitive pedigree from Ugandan football and giving Leopards a useful benchmark before the league begins.
Ambani insists the emphasis is not simply on collecting favourable pre-season results but on creating a team whose players understand one another and can execute the same ideas consistently.
“Players need to understand each other and develop the confidence to play the way we want,” he said.
Leopards finished runners-up last season, but Ambani believes that achievement carries little value once the new campaign begins. The coach has repeatedly warned his players against becoming comfortable with what they achieved previously. “We have started from zero because every season brings new challenges,” he said.
The appointment of Bernard Mwalala as first assistant coach has further strengthened Ambani’s technical team as the club seeks to raise standards both on and off the pitch.
Saturday’s match will also offer supporters an opportunity to meet and interact with the newly assembled squad, adding an extra dimension to what is otherwise a serious competitive rehearsal.
“We are going for the title,” Ambani said, underlining the scale of Leopards’ ambition after their near miss last season.
For Ingwe, the KCCA fixture is consequently more than another pre-season exercise. It is another checkpoint in a rebuilding project designed to produce a side capable of matching its ambitions when the real battle for the league crown begins.
Ambani knows the margin for error will be small, particularly with Gor Mahia defending their title, but he wants every remaining friendly to push his players closer to the standards required for a sustained challenge. “It is the belief of everyone in the team,” Ambani said of the title objective, with Leopards now looking to turn that belief into performances when the competitive season arrives.
