CECAFA Cup wrap: Kenya notch first win

Kenya beat Ethiopia 2-0 on Tuesday to enhance their chances of reaching the last eight of the CECAFA Tusker Challenge Cup.

The match was played in wet conditions in Dar es Salaam and the slippery pitch affected players’ ball control in the first half of the match.

In the 11th minute striker Bob Mugalia pounced on a ball which was parried by Ethiopian goalkeeper Habetamu, slotting it into goal to make it 1-0 to Kenya.

Kenya had a chance to double their advantage when Victor Ochieng was brought down in the box, but Jamal Mohammad sent the ball over the bar from the spot in the 25th minute.

With only six minutes left of the half, centre-back Brian Mandela sent the ball into the back of the net to stamp Kenya’s authority on the match.

The Harambee Stars’ solid defence kept their opponents’ strike force at bay at the break as they ensured they grabbed the maximum points from the encounter.

Elsewhere, Rwanda maintained their 100 percent record at the tournament with a 2-0 win over Zimbabwe.

Rwanda have now won both of their opening two matches, and top Group A ahead of host nation Tanzania, who claimed their first points with a 3-0 win over Djibouti.