CECAFA CHALLANGE CUP 2012: KENYA YAINGIA ROBO FAINALI WAITOBOA ETHIOPIA 3 -1

Kenya’s Harambee Stars on Friday afternoon qualified for the quarter final of the ongoing CECAFA senior challenge cup after a 3-1 win over Africa Cup of Nations’ bound Ethiopia in their final Group A match played at the Namboole stadium in Kampala.
Kenya’s goals were scored by Rama Salim, Clifton Miheso and David Ochieng in that order.

The win ensures Kenya finished their preliminary matches on six points with two wins and a loss that came on the first day against Uganda Cranes. Ethiopia finishes on three points with their 1-0 win over debutants South Sudan who later on play Uganda Cranes.
As soon as the whistle blew for the first match, Rama Salim got the first threat at goal for Kenya but his attempt was denied by the posts. Just a minute later after the missed chance, Cliffton Miheso, scorer of the second goal against South Sudan on Tuesday, outmaneuvered the Ethiopian defense line but his final touch missed the nets by an inch.

Ethiopia had their first real chance in the 13th minute that nearly paid off had it not been blasted wide by Tadesse from a good square ball on the right.

The goal was always coming for Kenya and after several missed chances in the opening 20 minutes Rama Salim gave Kenya the first goal tapping home a Mike Barasa square ball from the left flank.
Clifton Miheso got Kenya’s second goal in the 26th minute heading in Bernard Mang’oli’s corner.Less than a minute later, a lovely through ball deep from the midfield was set up for Mike Barasa and a good run from him almost snatched Kenya’s third. Barasa forced the keeper off his line to make the save but his clearance bounced off Barasa’s leg and deflected back towards goal, luckily for the Ethiopians it rolled out for a goal kick.

On the half hour mark, Ethiopia pulled a goal back resulting from a corner. Keeper Duncan Ochieng made a weak punch that landed on Mamo’s feet and the striker did not hesitate as he powered a shot back that dipped in to make it 2-1.
 
  Bernard Mang’oli had a brilliant chance n the 36th minute making a good solo run towards goal but his decision making was slow allowing the defenders to catch up and destabilize him before he could execute his final touch.
Mike Barasa had the first good chance for Kenya at the start of the second period with a right foot shot that went straight into the keeper’s hands.

Coach Nandwa at this point decided to introduce Humphrey Mieno for Anthony Kimani and Enock Agwanda for Mike Barasa. Agwanda’s first touch was a dangerous ball to Mang’oli but the latter headed wide from the six yard box.
Ethiopia looked more settled in the second half dominating play and piling pressure in the Kenyan half. Nandwa pulled most of his arsenal to defense sealing off chances of Ethiopia’s penetration.

With just about 12 minutes of play remaining Nandwa threw in overlapping defender Thomas Wanyama for midfielder Bernard Mang’oli perhaps with an attempt to add more strength in his solid defense line.
Defender David Ochieng added Kenya’s third goal in the 74th minute heading in his second of the tournament from a corner to extend Kenya’s lead to 3-1.Kikosi cha Cecafa Tusker Challange Cup cha Ethiopia
Ethiopia Coach Seyoum Kebedde was full of praise for his team despite their 3-1 loss to Kenya and ultimate exit from the CECAFA Tusker Senior Challenge Cup. Kebedde who has brought in an almost new team to the championships says he is impressed with how they have played in the three matches.

The tactician now says they shift their attention to the CHAN tournament that begins almost immediately after the CECAFA Tusker Senior Challenge Cup.

“These boys are completely new with totally no experience. Some of them are playing in such kind of a tournament for the very first time and looking at how they have performed, as a Coach I am happy,” he notes.

“We now shift our eyes to the CHAN tournament, we play Eritrea in the first round and this tournament has given us some good preparation. I have also seen a couple of players who have impressed and I had not seen much of before and I am going to include them in the CHAN team. About four players from this team will go into the CHAN squad,” he says.

“All of our players are local based players. In the national team, we have only one player who plays in Egypt. They have shown that a team can do well even without including players who play in Europe and that there is immense talent in Africa,” adds the tactician.