Three Tshisungu Kankonde moments to remember at KCCA FC

Striker Tshisungu Kankonde is said to be absconding from duty at KCCA FC and reportedly back home in the Democratic Republic of Congo after falling out with new head coach Sergio Traguil.

The gangly forward has found playing time hard to come by since the arrival of the Portuguese tactician, with youngster Abubakar Mayanja and Muhammad Shaban the preferred options.

Kankonde was a key piece to the Kasasiro Boys under Morley Byekwaso and played alongside Muhammad Shaban as the club’s main strikers ahead of Brian Aheebwa and Charles Lwanga.

With the reports of the Congolese going AWOL at the club, it might be the best time to look at his contribution to the team since joining the club in 2022.

Some of the incidences Kankonde will be remembered for are his two missed penalties that dented KCCA’s chances of winning silverware last season.

First, it was away to Maroons, where the Kasasiro Boys were handed an opportunity to score from the spot and take the lead, only for Kankonde to miss the target.

The match ended with Maroons collecting all three points after Fred Amaku’s goal.

The other penalty miss led to the resignation of Morley Byekwaso following the team’s exit from the Stanbic Uganda Cup. Kankonde went against the coach’s orders and insisted on taking the penalty, which he missed, and KCCA lost 1-0 to Soltilo Bright Stars.

If the two penalty misses were not damaging enough, Kankonde added an eight-match suspension from FUFA after slapping referee Mashood Ssali in the aftermath of KCCA’s 1-0 loss to Vipers at Kitende.

The suspension saw the striker miss the final bend of the season, and KCCA went on to lose the Startimes Uganda Premier League title to rivals Vipers SC on goal difference.

In total, Kankonde played 19 games for KCCA, managing four UPL goals and another two in the Uganda Cup.

With KCCA FC set to start their season on Sunday with the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary match against Libya’s Abu Salim, head coach Traguil will have to rely on Shaban and Mayanja for goals.