Africa-Press – Uganda. The Uganda Rhinos will seek to retain their Cecafa Under-15 Boys Championship when they take on Zanzibar on Thursday in the final match at the Fufa Technical Centre in Njeru.
Uganda had been flying seamlessly since 2019 but Tanzania gave them a massive reality check in the semifinals as the hosts fought a late assault to win 2-1 to reach their second final.
Coach Hamuza Lutalo acknowledged that complacency had set in due to the run that saw his boys score 22 goals in three games without conceding but Tanzania woke them up.
They face a debutant that sent shockwaves by winning all matches in a Group B that had their mainland neighbours Tanzania, Somalia and Rwanda without conceding before ousting South Sudan in the semis.
Lutalo is wary of the threat posed by the Swahili boys and has asked his boys to concentrate while they express themselves as well.
“There was some element of it (complacency) because they had played very well in the first games but you have to understand that these are young boys,” Lutalo explained.
“We have tried to talk to them because a final is a final and can go either way so we have to come prepared but we also want them to express themselves and leave the pressure to the coaches,” he added.
The Zanzibar coach has embraced the underdog tag but warned that his team is fully fit and motivated to take on the Rhinos.
“We know playing against a host in a final is not always easy [but] we have prepared well and the team is well motivated. We also have a full squad with no injury to worry us,” Mohamed Mrishona, Zanzibar’s coach said ahead of today’s clash.
The match will kick off at 3 pm shortly after the third-place playoff between South Sudan and Tanzania that starts at midday.
CECAFA U-15 BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP
Third-place playoff: South Sudan vs. Tanzania, 12 pm
Final: Uganda vs. Zanzibar, 3.30 pm
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