Football: AFC stun Etincelles in Nile Basin tourney

AFC Leopards had a positive start at the Nile Basin regional tournament winning 2-0 against Etincelles of Rwanda on Saturday night.

But the win was nearly overshadowed by the fact Leopards went to the tournament without a team doctor.

According to Council for East and Central Africa Football Association (CECAFA) media manager Rodgers Mulindwa this forced Leopards’ players to be attended to by a doctor from Police Club of Zanzibar.

Mulindwa wondered why the Kenyan club did not carry a team doctor even though organisers had sent them 25 tickets for players and officials.

This prompted a volunteer from Police FC of Zanzibar, Dr.Mohamed Said to rescue them on their first match day.

“There are up to now no clear explanations as to why a club that even recently competed in the CAF Confederations Cup could take such a risk of travelling without a  doctor,” said Mulindwa.

However, AFC Leopards Secretary general George Aladwa, said the club doctor missed to catch his flight after he arrived at the airport late.

“It was not our fault, but we have already dispatched him to Sudan,” said Aladwa.

The win enabled Leopards to go top of Group ‘B’ with maximum points. Noah Wafula put the Kenyan side ahead in the 20th minute before Nigerian import Austine Ikenna made sure of this victory with nine minutes before the end of the game.

In the first match of the day, Mbeya City of Tanzania went past  Brundian side Academie Tchite with a 3-2 win. Rachid Patient opened the scores for Academie before Mbeya City leveled through Paul Nonga in the 15th minute.

Skipper Yeya Mwagane fired the Tanzanians into a 2-1 lead with Themy Felix making it 3-1 in the 36th minute. Manirakiza Cedric reduced the deficit with 15 minutes to the end of the game.

Leopards will take on the Tanzanian club Mbeya on today hoping to pick maximum points and head to the last four stage of the competition.

In another match, Sudanese side El- Merreikh opened their campaign  with an emphatic 3-0 win over Police of Zanzibar on Friday night.

The giant Sudan club was playing on their home ground for the first time after six months of closure for the rehabilitation of the playing surface. The team  looked classy under their legendary coach, Martin Otto Pfister, the 76-year-old German who has coached Saudi Arabia at the Olympic Games, Cameroon, Togo, Ghana, Zaire, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and Trinidad and Tobago.

Before this, SC Victoria from Uganda had edged out Malakia of South Sudan 1-0 with Maurishi Jjuuko scoring the lone goal. — gwandera@standardmedia.co.ke