Somalia bundled out of CECAFA

By Reuben Olita in Nairobi

Results

Somalia 0 Tanzania 1

Zambia 1 Burundi 0

SOMALIA on Sunday became the second team to be tossed out of the on-going GOtv Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup after losing two consecutive matches.

The Ocean Stars were handed a 1-0 beating by Kilimanjaro Stars of Tanzania with super sub Athuman Chanongo scoring the lone goal of the match after 58 minutes.

They had lost the opening match 0-2 to Burundi to remain at the bottom of Group B with no point.  

Zambia beat Burundi 1-0 in their second match after a 1-1 draw with Tanzania for the two teams to tie in top spot with four points. Burundi is second with three points.

Despite bowing out of contention, Somalia produced the man-of-the match in striker Jabrill Hassan Mohammed and was awarded GOtv recorder for his brilliance.

South Sudan was the first to exit the tournament on Saturday after they too lost two consecutive matches.  In the opening match, South Sudan fell 1-2 to Zanzibar before being trounced 3-1 by hosts Kenya.

The exit of the two teams leaves 10 others to battle for the eight slots that will guarantee a place in the quarterfinals. Group A has Kenya, Ethiopia and Zanzibar who are still in contention.

Group B has Zambia, Tanzania and Burundi while Group C involving Uganda, Sudan, Rwanda and Eritrea will know the casualty on Monday when the second group matches will take place.

The tournament which started on November 27 has realized a low turnout to the chagrin of Cecafa Secretary Nicholas Musonye who has wondered whether the country is serious about hosting major championships.

Musonye said the Kenya v Ethiopia match realized less than 5,000 fans, a feat that calls for change in attitude by both fans and the government to qualify to host similar tournaments in future.