NAIROBI, July 22 – Tusker FC Coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has said that he is using the ongoing Cecafa Club Cup Championship in Dar es Salaam, to help shape up a future team.
Mulee who is preparing his side for the quarter finals slated for Wednesday afternoon against Rayon Sports from Rwanda added that he was, at the same time, taking the event seriously.
The Tusker versus Rayon duel is one of the two matches to be played Wednesday. In the other clash, Young Africans (Yanga) from Tanzania will take on Vital’O from Burundi to decide who makes the Cecafa Club Cup semi finals.
Mulee is expected to keep faith with the side that rocked the Somalia’s Benadir. Boniface Otieno would thus start in goal with Ibrahim Shikanda, John Njoroge, Humphrey Okoti and towering Joseph Shikokoti in defence.
Captain Jeff Oyando and Osborne Monday have been the key men in midfield with the attack under Oscar Kadenge, John Kio, Simon Mburu and Kenneth Wendo.
Both matches will be staged at the old National Stadium with Tusker and Rayon taking the pitch at 1.45pm. Yanga and Vital’O go into action from 4pm.
Both Tusker and Rayon go into their match still celebrating impressive wins from their last preliminary matches.
Tusker will definitely find Rayon a bigger challenge compared to Benadir as none of the sides will be out to make mistakes at this stage since failure would mean an early trip home.
Rayon’s coach Rahu Shungu will look to experienced Jimmy Gatete, Uwimana Abdul and Jean Lomami, all former Rwanda internationals to lift Rayon above Tusker.
Apart from the three, other key players in the side are goalkeeper Webo Lawrence, Rucogoza Aimabe, Uwigabirie Olivier, Kidega James, Kalisa Kasse, and Hategikimana Bonav; all who featured in the side’s two matches in Morogoro where Group B was based.
Yanga against Vital’O should be a real cracker. Yanga finished top of Group C ahead of Zanzibar’s Miembeni and defending champions APR from Rwanda.
Vital’O on the other hand finished third in Group A behind Dar es Salaam Simba and Tusker, and a place above Benadir.
Yanga will be inspired by a capacity home crowd. Coach Dusan Condic from Serbia has the privilege of two top class goalkeepers in Juma Kaseja and Ivo Mapunda, both senior members of the Tanzania national team.
Yanga have recently recruited heavily and results have been coming. After drawing 2-2 with APR, they hit Miembeni 1-0 to take top spot in their group.
The men who made this possible include defenders Shadrack Msajigwa, Wisdom Ndhlovu from Malawi, George Owino from Kenya, and local Nurdin Bakari.
Geoffrey Bonny and Kigi Makasi man the midfield while Ally Shamte, Vincent Barnabas, Mrisho Ngassa and Kenyan Boniface Ambani do the attacking.
The semi finals take place on Thursday and Friday while the final is due for Sunday.
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