Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda’s national Under 17 soccer team – Cubs – are one game away from making consecutive Afcon appearances after thrashing Kenya 5-0 in their opening game played at the Cecafa tournament in Rubavu, Rwanda yesterday.
The tournament, of which the Cubs are reigning champions, will have the finalists qualify for the Afcon finals.
And after the expulsion of South Sudan left the group with three teams and Kenya playing out a 2-2 draw with Ethiopia in the opening group game, victory for Cubs meant a slot in the semifinals was guaranteed regardless of the outcome of their final group game.
Clinical fashion
And they went about their business in emphatic fashion with Oscar Mawa plundering a hattrick while playmaker Travis Mutyaba and Ronald Madoi got the other goals. Mawa got his first in the seventh minute with a header from a deflected Vincent Mulema cross. He again showed quick reaction with his second goal, another header after his initial effort had been saved by the Kenyan goalkeeper on 50 minutes. The KCCA Junior Team forward then got his hat-trick four minutes later by running in behind the Kenya defence after a through ball from Mutyaba. The latter then got himself on the scoresheet for the fourth goal before Madoi controlled from a corner to add a gloss to the score-line.
The Hamza Lutalo-coached side return to action tomorrow against Ethiopia in the final group game.
CECAFA U-17 TOURNEY
Yesterday’s results
Uganda 5-0 Kenya
Rwanda 0-0 Djibouti
Tomorrow
Uganda vs. Ethiopia
THE GROUPS
GROUP A
Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia
Group B
Rwanda, Tanzania, Djibouti
