Uganda came from a goal down to defeat hosts Kenya 2-1 in the final of the CECAFA U-18 Boys Championship at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu on Friday.
Playing in front of a fully packed stadium, the two teams came all out and created some scoring opportunities early in the half, but failed to put them away. The hosts returned from the break to take the lead after 65 minutes through Syphas Otieno Owuor.
But Uganda kept pushing and equalised 12 minutes later through Batiibwe Okello. After the 90 minutes, the two teams returned to play another extra 30 minutes. Uganda netted the second goal through Hakim Mutebi after 92 minutes to make it 2-1.
The Ugandan team managed to sit back and absorb the pressure as they defended in numbers. Instrumental midfielder for Uganda Travis Mutyaba who also features for the senior national team said it was a sweet win for the team. ”We worked so hard and showed determination having lost our first match in the tournament against Tanzania,” said Mutyaba.
Tanzania beat Rwanda to finish third in an earlier match. Zidane Ally Sereri, Said Said, and John Misheto netted for the Tanzanian side, while Didie Ndayishiniye found the net for Rwanda.
The Awards ceremony were graced by the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts in Kenya, Ababu Namwamba. The other members who attended included the President of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), Wallace Karia, Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa and his Vice Doris Petra, South Sudan Football Association President Augustino Maduot Parek.