Uganda Hippos’ win over Ethiopia
Uganda U20 Men’s Team made their intentions at the ongoing AFCON U20 CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers clear, after brushing aside Ethiopia on Monday.
ETHOPIA – The Uganda Hippos kicked off their title defence in style, defeating Ethiopia 3-0 at the Azam Complex, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Midfielder Godfrey Sekibengo opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a stunning volley following a poor clearance from an Ethiopian defender.
Sekibengo’s strike from the edge of the box went straight into the far-right bottom corner giving Uganda an early lead. Ethiopia briefly thought they had equalized two minutes later but their goal was ruled out for offside.
The Hippos doubled their advantage just before halftime when Swabiri Mpasa volleyed home almost in similar fashion like Sekibengo from Allan Oyirwoth’s header, giving Uganda a comfortable 2-0 lead at the break.
Despite Ethiopia’s efforts, Uganda’s defense led by goalkeeper Abdu Magada and skipper Toto Majub remained resolute with the former making a crucial save after a defensive mix-up to keep the two-goal cushion intact.
In the second half, substitute John Innocent Kisolo sealed the win in the 90th minute with a powerful, deflected long-range strike that left the Ethiopian goalkeeper stranded.
Uganda made four substitutions during the game with Abubakali Walusimbi, Johnson Kabagambe, Kisolo and Denis Kisiriko all coming on to help maintain control.
Head coach Mathias Lule expressed satisfaction with the victory though he admitted the team could have performed better.
“I am delighted that we got off to a good start, winning 3-0 but I believe we can improve on how we play and control certain situations.” He said.
Uganda now shifts focus to their next game against Burundi on Wednesday , who also started with a win, defeating South Sudan 1-0 earlier in the day.
With two matches left in the group stage, the Hippos are eyeing a semi-final berth. It should be noted that only the finalists secure the two qualification slots to the U20 AFCON final tournament.
