More goals in Addis, poor tourney organisation
Dec 27, 2004
THE 28th edition of the CECAFA Al Amoudi Senior Challenge Cup will go in history as one of the best, perhaps the sponsorship of Sheikh Mohammed Al-Amoudi being the backbone.
By Norman Katende
Statistics: 2004
Goals 64
Yellow cards 45
Red Cards 4
Top Scorer
J. Lomani (Rwanda) six goals
2003
Goals 28
Yellow cards 18
Red Cards 2
Top Scorer
James Omondi (Kenya), Hatham Mahadi (Sudan) 3
Results
Final
Ethiopia 3 Burundi 0
Third place
Burundi 2 Kenya 1
Semi final
Kenya 2 (4) Ethiopia 2 (5)
Sudan 1 Burundi 2
THE 28th edition of the CECAFA Al Amoudi Senior Challenge Cup will go in history as one of the best, perhaps the sponsorship of Sheikh Mohammed Al-Amoudi being the backbone.
With an offer of air tickets to all the ten teams in the CECAFA region, though Djibouti backed out because they were re-organising their senior team according to CECAFA secretary Nicholas Musonye, all the other nine turned up for the event.
There was also $80,000 prize money to the semifinalist and finalists.
“It was a good gesture that has helped us realise the potential of what sponsorship can do to the tournament,†said Musonye.
Ethiopia lifted the trophy after beating Burundi in a one sided game. Third placed Sudan and Rwanda were unlucky. Their games deserved to reach far.
No wonder, Sudan coach Ramadhan Maulid said that they have been unlucky in the championship.
Uganda Cranes put up its poorest show ever and it came as no surprise that they were eliminated before the knockout stages.
Somalia played a defensive game and finished the tournament without scoring any goal. Zanzibar presented a well built and more promising team.
Burundi’s goalless group match against Ethiopia was among the tournament’s best games.
The event also saw a better display of the striking prowess with a total 64 goals scored, more than doubling last year’s 28 with the tournament’s top scorer, Rwanda’s Jean Lomani coming from a team that never reached the semifinals.
However, the scheduling of the matches was quite poor most especially in the knockout stages where they preferred to have two days of rest and hold the matches on the same day.
By the final day, there was no programme while Tanzania had to drive to the airport before they were confirmed on the plane — the hosts responsible to cater for all this. The sponsor had paid all the accommodation for the teams.
It was however thumbs up for the organisers, most especially president Worde Gorgis, despite administration wrangles in the FA.
Statistics: 2004
Goals 64
Yellow cards 45
Red Cards 4
Top Scorer
J. Lomani (Rwanda) six goals
2003
Goals 28
Yellow cards 18
Red Cards 2
Top Scorer
James Omondi (Kenya), Hatham Mahadi (Sudan) 3
Results
Final
Ethiopia 3 Burundi 0
Third place
Burundi 2 Kenya 1
Semi final
Kenya 2 (4) Ethiopia 2 (5)
Sudan 1 Burundi 2
THE 28th edition of the CECAFA Al Amoudi Senior Challenge Cup will go in history as one of the best, perhaps the sponsorship of Sheikh Mohammed Al-Amoudi being the backbone.
With an offer of air tickets to all the ten teams in the CECAFA region, though Djibouti backed out because they were re-organising their senior team according to CECAFA secretary Nicholas Musonye, all the other nine turned up for the event.
There was also $80,000 prize money to the semifinalist and finalists.
“It was a good gesture that has helped us realise the potential of what sponsorship can do to the tournament,†said Musonye.
Ethiopia lifted the trophy after beating Burundi in a one sided game. Third placed Sudan and Rwanda were unlucky. Their games deserved to reach far.
No wonder, Sudan coach Ramadhan Maulid said that they have been unlucky in the championship.
Uganda Cranes put up its poorest show ever and it came as no surprise that they were eliminated before the knockout stages.
Somalia played a defensive game and finished the tournament without scoring any goal. Zanzibar presented a well built and more promising team.
Burundi’s goalless group match against Ethiopia was among the tournament’s best games.
The event also saw a better display of the striking prowess with a total 64 goals scored, more than doubling last year’s 28 with the tournament’s top scorer, Rwanda’s Jean Lomani coming from a team that never reached the semifinals.
However, the scheduling of the matches was quite poor most especially in the knockout stages where they preferred to have two days of rest and hold the matches on the same day.
By the final day, there was no programme while Tanzania had to drive to the airport before they were confirmed on the plane — the hosts responsible to cater for all this. The sponsor had paid all the accommodation for the teams.
It was however thumbs up for the organisers, most especially president Worde Gorgis, despite administration wrangles in the FA.