The defending champions Uganda triumphed 2-0 over Tanzania in their opening Group C game at the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Kenya.

Rwanda and Zanzibar also emerged victors in their opening fixtures at East and Central Africa’s regional championship.

Owen Kasule struck just three minutes in for the Cranes, and Mike Sserumanga finished the job with just two minutes remaining.

But Zanzibar top group C after hammering Burundi 4-0 in Mumias in the west of the country.

Zanzibar got off to a flying start with a galaxy of youth players from the region’s under-17 championships last year.

They took a deserved lead in the 15th minute when Aggrey Moris headed home from Abdulghan Gulam’s corner kick.

The islanders intensified their attacks but it was Burundi defender Hakizimana Hassan who scored an own goal when he had meant to clear the ball.

Suleiman Kassim made it 3-0 for Zanzibar after connecting a perfect pass from Ahmed Malik.

Second half pressure continued to take its toll on the Burundians forcing them to concede the fourth goal after 67 minutes through Nzeyimana Hussein.

Zanzibar will need to win at least one of their two remaining games against Tanzania and Uganda to be certain of qualification to the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile in Group B Rwanda laboured to a 1-0 win over Somalia at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.

Badri Mwalimu scored an own goal in the fourth minute of this game, and the score remained the same as the Somali team made a fight of it in front of many Nairobi-based Somali spectators who were lending their support.

The Rwandese were reduced to ten men in the 30th minute when Jean Claude Iranzi was sent off for unsporting behaviour.

In the end Rwanda’s coach Eric Nshiyimana was happy to have snatched the three points.

“Eighty per cent of these players are drawn from the junior team and I am happy they have started well here,” he said.

Abdi Farah, the Somali coach is looking forward to better results in their remaining matches against Zimbabwe and Eritrea.

“We cannot afford to lose two matches,” he said adding that he was happy that his boys had put up a good show despite political problems at home.

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Source: BBC

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