Zanzibar hit Uganda to reach Cecafa final

Zanzibar hit Uganda to reach Cecafa final

Zanzibar defied the odds when they sunk Cecafa heavyweights and holders Uganda 2-1 to set up a finals date with Kenya on Sunday.

Friday’s win at the Moi Stadium in Kisumu put Zanzibar on course to ending their 22-year title drought in the regional Cup competition thanks to goals from Abdul-Aziz Makame Hassan and Mohamed Issa.

Zanzibar enjoyed the better start and should have gone ahead inside the opening three minutes when Issa Juma and Adeyum Ahmed Seif deceived the Cranes with a well-worked free-kick routine only for the former to brush his effort against the side-netting.

Uganda quickly threatened on the other end as Milton Kalisa and Mutyaba Muzzamir traded passes to carve open the opposition defence and expose goalkeeper Mohammed Abdurahman but Muzzamir failed to find the target.

The tournament’s surprise packages took the lead in the 24th minute when midfielder Abdulaziz turned to fire in a loose ball after Ibrahim Ahmada’s corner.

Six minutes later Ugandan striker Derrick Nsibambi levelled when he connected with a low cross from Allan Kyambadde to score his fourth goal of the tournament.

Nicholas Wadada came close to adding a second for Uganda only for the Zanzibar keeper to punch the ball to safety.

However, the 14-time champions, who had two defenders sent off in the quarter-final against Ethiopia, were again undermined by ill-discipline as defender Joseph Nsubuga was shown a straight red by the Rwandan referee for pulling back Ibrahim Ahmada inside the box in the 58th minute.

Mohammed Issa converted the resulting penalty in the 58th minute to send the Zanzibaris into their deserved second final in five years.

Tags:

Harambee Stars uganda CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup Zanzibar

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