Kenya end their long wait for the Cecafa Cup title after stopping Sudan 2-0 at Nyayo Stadium

By GILBERT WANDERA

 Kenya team celebrate after winning the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup at the Nyayo National Stadium.

Kenya ended their long wait for the Senior Challenge Cup title after stopping Sudan 2-0 at Nyayo Stadium yesterday .
The match was however delayed for more than an hour after Sudan were locked up in their hotel for non-payment of bills.
It took the intervention of top government officials and members of the Organising committee to have the team released.

AFC Leopards forward Allan Wanga scored both goals to help Stars lift the regional title for the first time in 11 years.
It was a performance for which he was named man of the match and speaking afterwards Wanga expressed delight at his performance and ending the 11 year drought.


"It feels awesome to have scored both goals. We have been working hard in training and finally it paid off," said Wanga.
Wanga's first goal came in the 35th minute when he headed home from a Clifftone  Miheso corner kick. His second was in the 82nd minute when he slid to guide home a James Situma cross from the right flank.
Playing before an almost packed Nyayo Stadium Stars got off to a positive start with Francis Kahata's fifth minute pass failing to find Edwin Lavatsa.

But it was Sudan who got the first corner of the match in the eighth minute. However, after that Stars completely took over and dominated in every department.  Coach Adel Amrouche's strategy to pack the midfield worked perfectly as Sudan were denied any opportunity to threaten the home defense.
In the 13th minute Teddy Akumu's effort was put out for Stars first corner of the match. Two minutes later Allan Wanga should have scored his first but failed to anticipate an on-coming cross from Cliftone Miheso which he just briefly touched as Abdelrahman Ali in the Sudan goal kept out the danger for a fruitless corner.

The second corner for Stars came in the 18th minute and another one two minutes later as the home side kept up the pressure. Sudan did not get their first shot at goal until the 28th minute when Nadir Elyateb's effort was stopped by Duncun Ochieng.

Stars started the second half with equal vigor as they ended the first half with Peter Opiyo's shot going just wide.
Sudan made the first substitution resting Nadir Elyateb for Mohammed Abdelmonem but it did not help them as Edwin Lavatsa threatened with a 67th minute effort that hit the Sudan post with the goalkeeper beaten.
Kenyan coach Adel Amrouche then rested Allan Wanga for Noah Wafula and Cliftone Miheso for David Gateri to ensure victory but not before the former had been booked for time wasting.

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