Why URA crashed out of CECAFA

By David Kizito in Darfur

Vital’O 6 Vs Ports 0

Rayon Sport 3 Vs URA 2

Semifinals

APR Vs El-Merreikh (4:30pm)

URA became the second Ugandan club on Thursday evening to crash out of this year’s Cecafa-Kagame club championship here in El-Fasher City, North Darfur State.

Express FC were the first exits on Wednesday when they lost their quarter final match 2-0 to another Rwandese club APR. The Red Eagles were already on flight out of El-Fasher to Khartoum by the time their fellow countrymen got exited from the same competition. 

URA looked the favorites before kickoff but started off with a poor show in the first half that saw them concede an early goal in 6th minute through Gentile Kambale.  Rayon sport played to a very fast speed that URA seemed unused to and on many occasions they were beaten on pace.

It was another moment of disaster when first goal keeper Yasin Mugabi was injured and got replaced by Brian Bwette in the first half. Mugabi had been hit by a hard shot in the face that caused him a bleeding through the nose. His replacement however looked shaky and unsurprisingly conceded two goals in the second half.

The tax boys played a side they were not familiar with and woke up late in the last quarter of the game when scored their first goal in the 75th minute through Frank Kalanda and a second one in the 77th minute by Feni Ali. The Sudanese referee Hashim Adam blew the last whistle when URA was trailing 3-2.

The URA players looked too heavy on the pitch a problem that could be blamed on their long stay in Khartoum after their last group stage match a week ago. Their opponents had played more group stage matches and were used to the ground of their quarter final clash as well.

Earlier on Rayon Sport had filed a petition challenging the eligibility of seven URA players; Kasirye Davis, Mugabi Jonathan, Sekitto Samuel, Kasibante Joseph, Sempala Hashim, Opolot Martin and Kalanda Frank.

They alleged that these players had not featured for URA in the last season but the Cecafa committee disregarded their petition. 

In the first semi final today, home boys El-Merreikh face Rwanda’s army side APR at 4:30pm. The second semi final between Vital’O and Rayon Sport will be played tomorrow.