Rwanda peg back Tanzania
Dangerman Olivier Karekezi’s 23rd minute goal condemned Tanzania to the worst possible start of their Cecafa title defence as they succumbed 1-0 to Rwanda at the National Stadium, Dar es Salaam on Saturday.
The Kilimanjaro Stars started well controlling possession in the early periods but the Rwandans were venomous on the attack.
Rwanda coach Milutin Sredojevic ‘Micho’s men looked astute and assured and soon neutralized the home side’s harmless stings.
Karekezi was a handful for Juma Nyoso and company at the back and Micho seemed to have planned the game around their talismanic captain as all balls from the white shirts looked for him.
First, Tanzania goalkeeper Juma Kasseja had to be at his best to parry Karekezi’s fierce free kick from over 25 yards.
Moments later, the hosts survived twice in one minute as two shots ratcheted off the woodwork, one of them a loop from Karekezi.
Coach Boniface Boniface Mkwasa’s Tanzania could not hold on any longer.
Trailed by two defenders, Karekezi picked a long ball from a halfway line with the Taifa Stars on the offensive, controlled it with the right in the area before beating Kasseja with his left for a 23rd minute lead.
Mrisha Ngassa and Nurdin Bakari’s onslaughts were well checked by Ugandan club Proline’s Charles Tibingana while Taifa Stars striker Mbwana Samata’s game was cut off by the Rwandan back line.
Mkwasa rung changes after recess bringing on Musa Hassan as the home side desperately searched for the equalizer.
Thomas Ulimwengu probed on the right but Tibingana stayed put. When Ngasha evaded the visitors’ defence, goalkeeper Jean Claude Ndoli was on hand, gloves intact.
The hosts poured forward in desperate search for salvation but the Rwandans stayed put to open their campaign strongly and Tanzania’s hardly so.
Mkwasi and company can look forward to bouncing back against Djibouti on Tuesday. The other Group A match between Djibouti and Zimbabwe is on Sunday.