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The Nairobian

BRAVE GOR FALL: Tanzania's Azam prolongs K'Ogalo's 30-year wait for Cecafa Club honours

Football

By ERNEST NDUNDA IN DAR ES SALAAM | Aug 02, 2015

Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia's good run finally came to an end after they were beaten 2-0 by Azam of Tanzania in the final of 2015 Cecafa Kagame Club championships at the National Stadium in Dar es salaam, Tanzania.

It was the first ever win for Azam since the inception of the tournament 41 years ago.

Gor Mahia was under intense pressure in the opening five minutes with Azam players dominating the proceedings.

The K'Ogalo side calmed down the game with Michael Olunga and Medie Kagere making some dangerous inroads to their opponents.

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Azam coached by British tactician Stewart Hall would have been one up in the 15th minute, but Kipre Tcheche could not arrive on time to tap in Ammy Ali's pass.

However, Tcheche paid back a minute later when he sprinted with the ball to dislodge defender Sibomana Abouba to neatly pass to Captain John Bocco to score.

Innocent Wafula wasted an open chance in the 29th minute when he blasted his shot wide.

Azam opted for wing play stretching open Gor Mahia's backline.

On the stroke of half time, Azam's goalkeeper Manila Salum had to dive at full stretch to punch out Wafula's goal bound shot.

Gor Mahia opened the second half with intent and tempo of getting an equalizer.

Tcheche was more lethal following a defensive mix-up in the 51st minute and saw his shot hit the post with Oluoch well beaten.

Coach Hall re-energised his team by bringing on Erasto Nyoni, Damayo Frank and Didier Kavumbagu for Farid Mussa, Ammy Ali and Tcheche.

Rwanda's referee Louis Hakizimana cautioned Khalid Aucho for a dangerous foul on Tcheche who dusted himself up to fire home the resultant free kick into the far corner of the posts in the 66th minute and silence Gor Mahia's charged fans.

Coach Frank Nuttal benched Erick Ochieng, Wafula and Kagere for Ali Abondo, Enock Agwanda and George 'Blackberry' Odhiambo, but could not alter the course of the match.

"We had some lapses as the players lacked concentration. We had few scoring chances but we did not utilise them," said Nuttal.

"We have achieved a lot as our aim was to make it to the knockout stage," added the coach.

Coach Hall said he had the energy to play for the 90 minutes. "Our defenders were at the peak and kept Gor Mahia's strikers at bay throughout the match," said Hall.

In an earlier match at the same venue' Kampala City Council Authority grabbed bronze after they hit Sudan's Khartoum National Club 2-1.

Michael Birungi put the Ugandans ahead in the seventh minute before Mutyaba Muzamiru added the second two minutes later. Atif Khalid scored Khartoum's consolation goal in the 21st minute.