CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup 2019 (Group A):
Sunday Results:
- Eritrea 0-0 Somalia
- Uganda Cranes 4-1 Djibouti
Uganda Cranes humbled horn of Africa country Djibouti 4-1 during a Group A contest at the 2019 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup at Lugogo Stadium in Kampala on Sunday.
This was the second of the doubleheader following Eritrea’s goal-less stalemate with Somalia in arguably the best-attended game of the tourney thus far.
Muzamiru Mutyaba, Joakim Ojera as well as two second-half substitutes Ben Ocen and Bright Anukani found the goals for host country Uganda for the fourth successive win in group stages.
Mutyaba scored the opening goal via a penalty kick that had been hitherto been stopped by the goalkeeper, but it eventually crossed the line after 14 minutes for the slim half time lead.
The penalty had been awarded by Sudanese referee Mohamed Sabri fouling a handball foul from Abdoulkader Djama after a teasing ball from Uganda’s left-back on the day, Paul Patrick Mbowa.
Uganda Cranes bossed the first half with a slim 1-0 lead.
Ojera raced onto Abdul Karim Watambala’s telling through ball to slot the ball past goalkeeper Innocent Mbonihaukoye in the 65th minute.
Quickly, Djibouti pulled back a goal through talisman Haroun Mohamed who slammed the ball into the net past Joel Mutakubwa following a goal melee in the 69th minute to make it 2-1.
Two late substitutes Ocen and Anukani then put the result beyond the reach of the opposition with clinical goals in the last 12 minutes.
First Ocen tapped home Allan Okello’s teaser off the right after dancing through a forest of legs in the 79th minute.
Three minutes later, the hosts were again celebrating when Anukani with virtually the first touch on the ball combined with Mbowa for the fourth goal – the final nail in Djibouti’s coffin.
Uganda recorded the fourth successive victory at the annual championship played since 1924.
The hosts had opened up with a 3-1 victory against Burundi before recording two 2-0 identical wins against Somalia and Eritrea.
Monday’s rest days will give the four qualified teams a much-needed breather before the grueling semi-final showdowns.
Eritrea finished second in Group A behind Uganda and will face Group B leaders, Kenya in Tuesday’s early kickoff.
The latter game on Tuesday will witness Uganda play Tanzania.
Kenya is the reigning champion.
Uganda Cranes XI: Joel Mutakubwa (GK), Paul Willa, Musitafa Mujuzi, John Revita, Paul Mbowa, Nicolas Kasozi (79′ Bright Aukani), Muzamiru Mutyaba, Karim Watambala, Joachim Ojera (66′ Ben Ocen), Joel Madondo, Viane Sekajugo (75′ Allan Okello)
Subs Not Used: Charles Lukwago (GK), Halid Lwaliwa, Mustafa Kizza, Shafiq Kagimu, Bright Anukani, Fahad Bayo, Steven Mukwala
- Head Coach: Johnathan McKinstry (Northern Ireland)
- Assistant Coach 1: Abdalah Mubiru
- Assistant Coach 2: Livingstone Mbabazi
- Goalkeepers’ Coach: Fred Kajoba
- Team Doctor: Emmanuel Nakabago
Djibouti XI: Innocent Mbonihaukoye (G.K), Haroun Mohamed, Hassan Moussa, Fouad Moussa, Abdoulkader Djama, Mohamed Bourhan (Captain), Ali Youssouf, Mahdi Houssein, Hamza Abdi, Siad Yabe, Hassan Warsama
Subs: Mohamed Fouad, Kassim Abdourahman, Abdi Nasradin (G.K), Ahmed Youssouf, Ali Adeleh (G.K), Fahmo Moussa, Mohamed Salem, Saleh Bourhan
- Head coach: Efrem Haile Alemseghed (Eritrea)
- Assistant coach: Elias Ali Abubeker
- Goalkeepers’ coach: Zewengel Embaye Haile
- Team physio: Teklu Tsegai Bahlibi
- Official: Mussa Salih
Match Officials:
- Center Referee: Sabri Mohamed (Sudan)
- Assistant Referee 1: Nage Elfateh (Sudan)
- Assistant Referee 2: Michael Eyobel (Eritrea)
- Fourth official: Thierry Nkurunziza (Burundi)
- Referees Assessor: Claude Birimusahau (Burundi)
- Commissioner: Hassan Amir (Somalia)
- General Coordinator: Suleiman Othman (Zanzibar)
- Media officer: Shaffi Abokar (Somalia)
- Technical Study Group: Daniel Yohannes (Eritrea)
The News Editor ,Reporter at Kagadi Kibaale community Radio
