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| Benadir's striker Sidi Said (in yellow jersey) negotiates his way past a pack of Vital'O defenders suring the East and Central African Club championship's (Kagame Cup) group A match at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Monday. Benadir shocked Vital'O with a stunning last-gasp winning goal. The Somali champions Benadir won by 2-1 goals. |
By The Citizen Reporter
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The East and Central African Club championship (Kagame Cup) resumes today with six teams in action at two centres - Dar es Salaam and Morogoro.
Two matches will be played at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam where Zanzibar's Miembeni FC will be making their maiden appearance after five days of honey moon.
The Isles champions are paired against holders, APR of Rwanda in a match highly fragile for the Rwandan team should they concede defeat.
Unless the match ends in draw, a win for either team would change the completely the complexion of the group.
The second match at the Dar es Salaam centre will be between group A teams of Tusker from Kenya and Burundi champions Vital'O.
The Kenyan side will be all out to secure a quarter-final berth as Vital'O FC is likely to stage a fight back to remain in contention having lost their opener to unheralded Somali side, Benadir, on Monday.
The Burundi team would certainly be on their way home should they lose today's clash as well.
In Morogoro, Ethiopia's Awassa FC will be making their first appearance in the tourney as they play highflying Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
This is URA's final preliminary match in their group and a win or draw is enough to power the team into the quarter finals having notched three points in their opening match against Rwanda's Rayon Sport last Sunday. URA breezed past Rayon by a comprehensive 4-1 score.
Meanwhile, Majuto Omary reports that secretary general of the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Fredrick Mwakalebela said local teams featuring in the Kagame Cup should work hard before it's too late.
Mwakalebela said Mainland teams of Simba and Yanga started the tourney with a shaky performance much to the disappointment of home fans, especially Simba SC that lost the opener to Tusker by 3-2 score.
Yanga managed a 2-2 draw with holders APR of Rwanda to have their qualification bid hanging on balance despite having a match in hand against Zanzibar champions, Miembeni on Saturday.
Mwakalebela was on the opinion that coaches of both teams should make timely amendments to improve their performance in the tourney.
While Yanga miss coordination between players of their team, Simba have a porous defense, so says Mwakalebela.
He made the plea to the local teams to make a breakthrough not only to meet satisfaction of the local fans, but also to keep a steady flow of spectators in the stadiums.
Source: The Citizen, July 16, 2008