The stallions stunned: Sentamu fires Uganda to victory over Burkina Faso

Cape Town

Coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic’s Uganda Cranes team started with a 2-1 victory over Burkina Faso in a Group B tie of the on-going CAF African Nations Championship (Chan) at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Sunday.

Youngster Junior Yunus Sentamu scored a goal in each half to silence the Burkina Faso team. He netted early in the 15th minute after a defensive lapse gave him room to round the goalkeeper and slot into an empty net.

The SC Vipers striker was on target again in the 72nd minute after finishing off a well taken cross by substitute Francis Olaki.

The second goal rested in the top left corner of the net to drive more than 200 Ugandan fans in the stands wild.

But in the 89th minute, the Cranes were punished for poor defending of a corner kick that gave Cyrille Bayala a chance to pull one back.

The Cranes, who lost all their three matches in the 2011 Chan event, gave a very good account of themselves in the first half, before the West Africans returned strongly to pile on the pressure early in the second half.

Pulling out a tired Vincent Kayizzi paid off for the Cranes as they became more aggressive and played with purpose.

Aboubacar Traore had three shots at goal, but Ugandan goalkeeper Benjamin Ochan saved on all occasions.

Cranes skipper Dennis Iguma should have made it 3-0 in the 77th minute, but Burkina Faso’s goalkeeper Mohamed Kabore was quick to clear the ball.

FIRST GOALS

“I am happy to score my first goals ever in a national team jersey,” the 19-year old Cranes goal scorer Sentamu told Supersport.com after the match. The Cranes now lead Group B after Morocco and Zimbabwe settled for a barren draw in an earlier match.

Elsewhere, Zimbabwe and Morocco played to a goalless draw in the opening game of their Group B CAF African Nations Championship at Athlone Stadium on Sunday.

The first half was a rather dull affair as both sides struggled to keep hold of the ball and create a sustained period of pressure.

It was a game characterised by poor passing and poor decision making in the final third of the field.

Consequently, chances on goal were few and far between. Morocco, however, did have better opportunities in front of goal. In the eighth minute, Issam Erraki fired a 25-yard set-piece into the defensive wall, but was quickest to react and pounce on the rebound, but again he was disappointed as the keeper produced a great save to deny him.

               —Supersport.com