Cranes first to make quarters
Defending champions Uganda are the first country to reach the last eight of this year’s Cecafa Tusker Cup after beating Ethiopia 1-0 at Namboole on Tuesday.
Brian Umony scored the game’s solitary goal after just nine minutes to see coach Bobby Williamson’s side move to six points and top of Group A.
Ethiopia, who were losing their match having won the opener by a similar scoreline against South Sudan, must now win their final group match against Kenya to progress among the best two.
Kenya will also qualify with victory after beating South Sudan 2-0 earlier on. Despite the victory, and yet another clean sheet, Bobby will be worried about his side’s failure to convert chances.
Uganda could have opened the scoring just inside six minutes when Emmanuel Okwi set up Joseph Ochaya, who was making his first start having been on the bench in the opening game, but the winger’s effort was well taken care of by Ethiopia goalkeeper Samson Asfaw Wrku
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The winger moments later missed another chance as Cranes threatened to ransack the Walya Antelopes.
But soon the pressure yielded, Moses Oloya beating his marker down the right before passing to Ochaya, the winger’s cross being controlled and turned in by Umony for his first Cranes goal in over two years. The goal was Umony’s ninth in 19 caps.
Umony could have made it 2-0 before the break but he turned Ochaya’s cross from the left out with Ethiopia goalkeeper Asfaw at his mercy.
Ethiopia were an improved side after the break but it’s still the Cranes that created the better chances, Umony and Ochaya both hitting the cross bar.
Uganda could have doubled with the final piece of action when Godfrey Walusimbi’s lofted-in ball found substitute Hamis Kiiza at the near post but the striker’s header was kept out Asfaw.
