Harambee Starlets thrash Uganda in Cecafa championship tie

By  CLIVE KYAZZE

What you need to know:

  • Using home advantage, the Crested Cranes of Uganda fought with passion and desire, matching the Harambee Starlets in every aspect of the game from possession, pace to physicality in the early stages.
  • Neddy Atieno broke away from her marker down the left before crossing for skipper Mary Wanjiku to tap past Ruth Aturo in goal.
  • Burundi thrashed Zanzibar 10-1 to top Group A. 
  • Mwajuma Abdalla Abdullahi scored Zanzibar’s lone goal from 12 metres out in the first half.

In Jinja

Kenya started their Cecafa Women Championship campaign at a blistering pace crushing hosts Uganda 4-0 in a Group A match on Sunday at the Fufa technical Centre in Njeru, Jinja.

Banking on home advantage, the Crested Cranes of Uganda fought with passion and desire, matching the Harambee Starlets in every aspect of the game from possession, pace to physicality in the early stages.

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But they lost their balance when midfielder Winnie Babirye was pulled out injures after she collided with Irene Ogutu after 11 minutes.

Then, as expected, the Africa Women’s Cup of Nation-bound Kenya took charge of the encounter.

Neddy Atieno broke away from her marker down the left before crossing for skipper Mary Wanjiku to tap past Ruth Aturo in goal.

Uganda tried to compete in midfield but didn’t offer much going forward, their strikers Laki Otandeka and Hasifa Nassuna barely troubling Kenya’s backline of Wendy Achieng, Ann Onyango, Dorcas Shikobe and Irene Ogutu.

Five minutes to the break lively Esse Akida had a glorious chance to double the lead after she broke away from the right but could only watch as her effort hit the post.

A defensive mix-up five minutes into the second half gifted Akida the opportunity to shoot past Aturo in Uganda’s goal for Kenya’s second. 

With a quarter an hour to play, substitute Vivian Corazon made it 3-0 with a thunderous shot .

Akida capitalised on Uganda’s dismal defending to grab her brace on 90 minutes with another low shot.

The headlines on the opening day though were written by Burundi who managed a smashing 10-1 win over 10-man Zanzibar taking them top of Group A. 

GRABBED A BRACE

Djazilla Uwimeza scored a hat trick, Maggy Mumezero and substitute Shakira Nalwoga both grabbed a brace while Uwimeza Nella, Bukuru Joe’lle and Aziza Misigiyimana had a goal apiece.

Mwajuma Abdalla Abdullahi scored Zanzibar’s lone goal from 12 metres out in the first half.

On the local front, Nakuru AllStars have slapped custodian Daniel Likoko with a month long suspension after the player was discovered to have participated at the East Africa School Games without the consent of the club.

The second tier club announced this on their social media pages last week.

“The AllStars management has come to the conclusion of slapping a one month suspension to goalkeeper Daniel Likoko for breach of contract, after the player featured in the school games without consent from his employers,” the club statement read.

Likoko is also on the spotlight for featuring in the school games for Passenga High under a different name of Shadrack Ojiji.

The Nation has revealed in an extensive expose last week, that the 20 year old custodian was registered by Passenga High School under the initials Shadrack Ojijo, in what could be a case of forgery. The club has however refused to comment on this matter.

Meanwhile, Federation of East Africa Secondary Sports Association secretary general David Ngugi has revealed that all schools that fielded ineligible players at the games will be punished.

The Sports’ PS has made it clear, institutions found guilty of cheating will be banned. The school heads will also be reprimanded,” Ngugi said on Supersport’s Simba Super Soccer show.

SUNDAY RESULTS

Zanzibar 1-10 Burundi
Uganda 0-4 Kenya

FIXTURES

MONDAY:

Tanzania v Rwanda (4pm)   

TUESDAY

Burundi v Kenya (2pm)
Zanzibar v Uganda (4pm)

Additional reporting by David Kwalimwa

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