Home Sports Zanzibar Confident of Shocking Kenya to CECAFA Title

Zanzibar Confident of Shocking Kenya to CECAFA Title

by Williams Buningwire
1:54 pm

Harambee Stars player(Left) challenges Zanzibar Heroes duo

Kenya’s Harambee stars will battle Zanzibar Heroes in this year’s finals of CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup at Moi Sports Complex in Kisumu on Sunday.

Meanwhile the defending champions (Uganda) will play against Burundi in the losers match battling for the third place play-off.

Zanzibar heroes qualified for final after stunning Uganda cranes a 2-1 in the second semi-final

However, the Zanzibar counterparts had earlier got their ticket to play in the finals after registering their crucial win against the new comers (Burundi) in CECAFA by scoring 1:0.

Abdul-Aziz Makame Hassan’s goal in the 22nd minute gave lead to the Zanzibar heroes while the defending champions’ striker Derick Nsibambi equalized on the 26th minute.

Soon after the start of the second half in the 57th minute Issa Mohamed Jumas goals edged the Cranes from defending the trophy back to Uganda’s capital Kampala.

Uganda Cranes were reduced to 10 men when substitute Joseph Nsubuga was shown red card for pulling down an opponent giving Juma Mohammed Issa an appotunity to register for the finals by scoring the resultant penalty.

This will be the second time the hosts Harambee stars of Kenya will be meeting Heroes of Zanzibar after their 0:0 draw during the group stage.

Harambee stars of Kenya finds yet another opportunity after  Amavubi of Rwanda avenged their 2013 quarterfinal 1-0 defeat to Kenya two years ago when they edged Harambee Stars 5-3 on post-match penalties.

The islanders (Zanzibar) last won CECAFA in 1995 after stunning Kenya in Uganda’s capital Kampala and have vowed to repeat the same victory.

According to Suleiman Kassim Selembe, the team captain, “history can repeat itself. We are determined to go all the way and do this for the hundreds of thousands of people back home. We have gone through so many difficulties even to get here and this is the ultimate prize we can give ourselves.”

Sunday

Loser’s match (third place)

Uganda vs Burundi 1pm.

Final

Kenya vs Zanzibar 3pm