Results:
Sudan (1) Vs. Rwanda (0)
Eritrea (0) Vs. Uganda (3)
CRANES Cecafa team Captain Emmanuel Okwi struck twice and Hamis Kiiza netted a brilliant penalty as Uganda walloped Eritrea 3-0 to storm the quarter finals of this year’s challenge Cup here at City stadium in Nairobi.
Gor-Mahia striker Daniel Sserunkuma had a hand in all the three goals and was voted the man of the match by the CECAFA Technical committee. Sserunkuuma was in a brilliant form.
Sserunkuma turns out for the city’s popular club, Gor Mahia, for whom he scored important goals on their way to the Kenyan Premier League title in the season ended on November 10.
Earlier at the same artificial turf of the City Stadium, Sudan had an important 1-0 victory over Rwanda which left the Amavubi Stars, champions of 1999, on the brink of elimination. Rwanda will now have to beat Eritrea with more than three unanswered goals to enter the mathematical qualification into the knock out stage.
Goalless second half
Uganda Cranes were all over the Red Sea Camels in the first half, forwards Danny Sserunkuma and Emmanuel Okwi the Cranes skipper most rampant.
Starting his first game after recovering from malaria, Okwi opened the scoring after just nine minutes, tapping in a low cross from the enterprising Sserunkuma who had beaten his man on the right before passing beyond Eritrea goalkeeper Abdulahi Abdurahman.
Sserunkuma was at it again, racing onto a long ball from inside his half only to be pushed by Eritrean defender Surafel Tesfamicael in the box. The referee pointed to the penalty spot and Hamisi Kiiza duly converted from six yards on 19 minutes for his first goal of the tournament; 2-0 Uganda.
Okwi made it a double for himself in the 38th minute, tapping in yet another inviting low cross from Man-of-the-Match Sserunkuma, who had run the distance after intercepting a ball from the halfway line.
In the second half Sserunkuma was often on the dribble and spraying passes and the manner in which the Cranes could not make all that count was amazing. It will surely be of concern to their Serbian Miluton “Micho” Sredojevic. The second half ended goalless but with Eritrea displaying a better show than in the first half.
Another 1-0 loss for Rwanda
Forward Salah Ibrahim scored a cracker to aid his team beat Rwanda 1- 0 also at the City Stadium.
The goal, netted on the half hour mark had all the writings of a sucker punch as Rwanda failed to capitalise on their dominant possession.
Salah disposed Ishmael Nshutiyamagara in the middle with the last man having no cover. The lanky striker took just one touch before spotting the ‘keeper off his line and fired Sudan ahead with a long range shot that gave Jean Luc Ndayishimiye no chance.
Before that Rwanda had twice survived. In the seventh minute their ‘keeper was alert enough to tip round Hamid Nazar’s acrobatic shot from six yards out. Then the cross bar saved them from a 20th minute concession when Mohannad Tahir latched on to a long ball in the box but his shot bounced off the bar with the defence grounded.
Meddie Kagere went close for the Rwandans in the 21st minute with a header off Ngirinshuti Mwemere’s cross but the Sudanese ‘keeper Abdelrahman Ali punched it clear for a corner.
In the second half, Rwanda resumed the more purposeful of the two sides and had a moment of protest in the 47th minute. A free kick delivered by Emery Bayisenge seemed to have crossed the line before Abdelrahman Ali’s intervention to punch the ball out. Referee Davies Omweno would hear none of their protests.
Sudan survived another scare in the 72nd minute when poor goalkeeping almost gifted Rwanda an easy goal but Abdelrahman recovered to save the situation as his team held on to a second win in as many matches. It sees them proceed to the quarterfinals while Rwanda have a very limited chance of making it to the second round as they have no point from two games.
Today and tomorrow’s fixtures have been moved to Nakuru and action return in Nairobi on Thursday when Uganda takes on Sudan in a match that will be a fight for the top place. Both teams have already qualified for the next stage with equal points and goals.
