CECAFA U18 semis: Uganda face Rwanda, hosts Kenya meet Tanzania

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 CECAFA U18 BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 

Dennis Kisiriko came off the bench to seal Uganda's 2-0 win over South Sudan on Saturday to set up a semifinal duel with Rwanda in the 2023 CECAFA U18 Boys Championship in Kenya.

From the moment he was introduced, Kisiriko proved a constant source of bother inside the South Sudanese half, as the free-flowing Ugandans launched attack after attack.

Before the arrival of his goal deep in the 88th minute, Kisiriko's compatriot Richard Okello had already put Uganda in front with a well worked team goal just after the hour mark.

After a goalless first half of these two sides' final group game at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kenya's western city of Kisumu, it was the Ugandans that regrouped to return much sharper and more precise in their transitions, often condemning their opponents to defensive duties.

When the breakthrough eventually came in the 63rd minute, it was arguably poetry in motion.

But first, a minute before, an under-pressure substitute Abasi Kyeyune had just squandered a glorious opportunity in the face of goal inside the box after Okello managed to muscle the ball off South Sudan defender Riak Mulal to coolly slip the ball into the box.

After that wasted chance, the Ugandans were swiftly back in attack mode.

Again, the South Sudanese fortress did just enough to leave Hakim Mutebi on the ground on the byline after the Ugandan did well to chase — and meet — a speeding ball down the left flank.

This marked the genesis of the opening goal.

With Mutebi still down outside the playing field, South Sudan cleared the danger. The ball landed on Ugandan captain Louis Amagu Anguti, whose awkward touch drew instant hand ball appeals, but the referee would have none of that.

Anguti then calmly tapped the ball back to his fellow defender, who wasted no time  slotting a long ground ball over the halfway line to a teammate. It was another one touch and another yellow shirt, this time on the right flank.

Dazzled, the South Sudan players struggled to snatch the ball from the twinkle toes of the Ugandans as an ensuing series of quick one-two touches, including a nifty backheel pass, saw the ball slalom through the red maze and finally land into the crowded box with two yellow shirts there to connect.

It was Okello to slam home to add the gloss to a well deserved team goal and send the Ugandan camp in pure elation.

As head coach James Ezekiel Ismail's tiring boys lumbered on with time fast-running out for them to find the equalizer, Uganda made their persistent probing count with a late second to all but deflate any nascent South Sudanese hopes of a comeback.

Kisiriko was downed beyond the edge of the box and the referee awarded a freekick to Uganda.

The resulting long effort whipped deep into the box was met by Kisiriko, who was struck first-time to leave Mulal and fellow defender David Aguek with arms up in the air, hoping to see the flag up. But it stayed down.

But the time reality hit them, Kisiriko was already wheeling away to celebrate with his teammates at the left corner spot.

It took a while for the goals to come but when they did, it was Uganda on the winning side as South Sudan exited the competition.

Next Tuesday (December 5), Uganda will face Rwanda in the first semifinal while hosts Kenya will face Tanzania, with all eyes on the two spots for Friday's final.

By the time Tanzania and Zanzibar ended their final group game on Saturday in Kakamega, which ended 1-1, they were both equal on points (four) and goal difference. As a result, the fair play criterion was used to determine which team progresses.

Because Tanzania had accumulated four yellow cards against Zanzibar's five throughout the comptition, the latter made it through.