Zanzibar hold Uganda Cranes

By Peter Atsiaya

Zanzibar forced a barren draw with champions Uganda at Mumias Sports Complex to advance to the quarter-finals of the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup.

Zanzibar, who finished their assignments in Group C with four points, will secure a quarter-final berth as best losers.

The hotly-contested encounter, whose first half was played under downpour, marked a farewell to hundreds of fans who have been treated to top level football since the event kicked off a week ago. An appeal by local fans to Cecafa to allow one of the quarter-finals and semi-finals played in the town known for sugarcane farming has been turned down as all the knockout matches have been moved to Nairobi.

Uganda Scotish coach, Robert Williamson, rested six of his first team regulars including goalkeeper Hamsa Muonge, Stephen Bengo, Dan Wangaluka, Simon Serunkuma, Geofrey Massa, and Bonny Mawenjje in a formality match for the Cranes.

Zanzibar should blame themselves for a goalless draw as they wasted numerous scoring chances which they created with their influential midfielder Abdulhaum Homoud, Abdalla Seif and Othman Omar as the main culprits.

Zanzibar’s custodian Mohamed Abdalla frustrated efforts by Uganda strikers Patrick Ochan who plays for Ethiopia’s St Georges and Peter Senyonjo to score.

Uganda took charge of proceedings in the econd half but they could nt convert their chancdes into goals.

Two minutes of added time Homoud would have put Zanzibar ahead but he shot wide.