Results: S. Sudan (0) Vs. Ethiopia (2), Kenya (2) Vs. Zanzibar (0)
Today: Tanzania Vs Burundi (2:00pm), Somalia Vs Zambia (4:00pm)
Uganda will have to beat Sudan on any margin to top group ‘C’ and avoid playing hosts Kenya in this year’s CECAFA senior challenge Cup or else risk the task. The venue for Uganda’s last group stage match however remains undecided till today afternoon.
Kenya is Uganda’s main football rivalry in the region and if the two nations meet in the quarterfinals scheduled for Mombasa, it will be real fireworks!
Both Ugandan tactician Sredojevic ‘Micho’ Milutin and his Belgian counterpart Adel Amrouche are not bothered with the knockout stage pairings but the fans here do not wish the two countries to meet this early. “It will be too bad for us [Kenya] to meet Uganda. I pray it doesn’t happen till finals”, said Zubery Olobo, a Kenyan resident of Nakuru County.
Uganda and Sudan are joint top leaders of Group ‘C’ with six points each from the two matches played. The two teams have also scored and conceded the same number of goals. They both edged Rwanda 1-0 and beat Eritrea 3-0. Their last group stage fixture will only be a fight for the top place but both nations have already made it into the quarter finals.
South Sudan back home
South Sudan, the newest members of CECAFA wound up their campaign with a 2-0 loss to Ethiopia at Nakuru stadium. They however left happy after scoring two goals against Zanzibar and Kenya. They conceded seven following a 2-1 loss to Zanzibar, 3-1 to Kenya and 2-0 to Ethiopia. Their Congolese Coach Bandua Ismael said he was leaving Kenya happy despite bowing out at preliminary stage. “Scoring against longtime members of CECAFA and losing on slim margins gives us hope for a bright future…we return home happy”, Bandua said.
Tossed coin for Ethiopia-Kenya tie
CECAFA Central organizing committee is left with no option but to toss a coin to separate Kenya and Ethiopia after the two nations emerged joint table leaders of Group ‘B’ with seven points and a 4-goal difference. The coin will be tossed on Friday to determine who takes the first and second position.
CECAFA General Secretary Nicholas Musonye said the tournament rules provided for this and that there was no better option than this. The winners in this group play the best loser 1 and the runners-up meet the leaders of Group ‘C’.
Winless Rwanda in action
Rwanda returns to action today (Wednesday) against Eritrea in a fight that must see Rwanda win this game or else become the first giant member country to be shown exit this year.
The Amavubi lost their first two games to Uganda and Sudan on a 1-0 margin. Any result short of a win will automatically throw the Rwandese out of contention for the slots of the two best losers.
Zanzibar (3pts) and Burundi (3pts) are the other two countries eyeing the same slots if Tanzania wins on Wednesday afternoon.
Eritrean missing players named
Like on Monday, Eritrea returns to action today without two of their players who went missing last week. Sources have identified the missing players as Isaac Tesfay and Meaweya Omar.
The Eritrea win over Rwanda will only be a spoiler unless it’s by 5-un answered goals to reduce their goal average to -1 and qualify together with Burundi or Zanzibar as best losers depending on the outcomes from the Tanzania-Burundi match
