URA fails at the last hurdle again
JUST like it was last year, URA FC again lost a CECAFA Club Championship final yesterday at Dar es Salaam’s 60,000 seater National Stadium in Temeke.<br>
By Kato Kawuma
CECAFA Club final
Tusker 2 URA 1
Third place play-off:
Simba v Yanga
(Yanga failed to turn up)
JUST like it was last year, URA FC again lost a CECAFA Club Championship final yesterday at Dar es Salaam’s 60,000 seater National Stadium in Temeke.
Former SC Villa player Oscar Kadenge was URA’s assasin with just three minutes left on the clock after big man Joseph Shikokot’s late equaliser had cancelled out Martin Muwanga’s lead for the taxmen midway through the first half.
URA return home today with a $20,000 (about sh32m) prize money staked by tournament sponsor President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. Tusker received $30,000 and Simba $10,000.
Muwanga’s lead was an awakening to the Kenyans who had had the superior ball possession in the first 20 minutes.
Tusker though remained the superior side with better play in the game watched by FUFA president Lawrence Mulindwa.
URA looked revitalised after recess with match maker Dan Wagaluka giving towering Shikokoti and left back Ibrahim Shikande problems leading to five successive but fruitless corners.
URA head coach Moses Basena conceded defeat. “The group stage mistakes came to haunt us again. Lack of concentration in the last minutes made us lose the cup. It was the best game we have played in the tournament but hard luck cost us. We failed to utilise our chances and we paid dearly for it.â€
Ismail Kigozi, who missed the first scoring chance on five minutes, failed to make the score 2-0 when he headed wide Wagaluka’s right wing cross. Muwanga also forced Boniface Otieno to save with his left leg and Manko Kaweesa shot wide from close range.
Tusker coach, Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee, who had made the three substitutions, looked dejected when his matchmaker Osborne Monday limped off late in the game following a Kigozi tackle.
Despite being one man less, Tusker pinned URA in their own half in search for a winner.
Basena brought on athletic Robert Okello for Kigozi but could not reduce the pressure by the Kenyans.
In the 79th minute, URA conceded a corner on the right flank that captain Eduardo Kauka chipped in and Shikokoti made amends for Tusker with the equaliser.
The Kenyans never relented and were rewarded with the winner in the 88th minute blasted in by former Jogoos Kenyan import Kadenge off a Daniel Matengo cross.
CECAFA Club final
Tusker 2 URA 1
Third place play-off:
Simba v Yanga
(Yanga failed to turn up)
JUST like it was last year, URA FC again lost a CECAFA Club Championship final yesterday at Dar es Salaam’s 60,000 seater National Stadium in Temeke.
Former SC Villa player Oscar Kadenge was URA’s assasin with just three minutes left on the clock after big man Joseph Shikokot’s late equaliser had cancelled out Martin Muwanga’s lead for the taxmen midway through the first half.
URA return home today with a $20,000 (about sh32m) prize money staked by tournament sponsor President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. Tusker received $30,000 and Simba $10,000.
Muwanga’s lead was an awakening to the Kenyans who had had the superior ball possession in the first 20 minutes.
Tusker though remained the superior side with better play in the game watched by FUFA president Lawrence Mulindwa.
URA looked revitalised after recess with match maker Dan Wagaluka giving towering Shikokoti and left back Ibrahim Shikande problems leading to five successive but fruitless corners.
URA head coach Moses Basena conceded defeat. “The group stage mistakes came to haunt us again. Lack of concentration in the last minutes made us lose the cup. It was the best game we have played in the tournament but hard luck cost us. We failed to utilise our chances and we paid dearly for it.â€
Ismail Kigozi, who missed the first scoring chance on five minutes, failed to make the score 2-0 when he headed wide Wagaluka’s right wing cross. Muwanga also forced Boniface Otieno to save with his left leg and Manko Kaweesa shot wide from close range.
Tusker coach, Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee, who had made the three substitutions, looked dejected when his matchmaker Osborne Monday limped off late in the game following a Kigozi tackle.
Despite being one man less, Tusker pinned URA in their own half in search for a winner.
Basena brought on athletic Robert Okello for Kigozi but could not reduce the pressure by the Kenyans.
In the 79th minute, URA conceded a corner on the right flank that captain Eduardo Kauka chipped in and Shikokoti made amends for Tusker with the equaliser.
The Kenyans never relented and were rewarded with the winner in the 88th minute blasted in by former Jogoos Kenyan import Kadenge off a Daniel Matengo cross.