NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 15 – Aldrine Kibet scored a hatrick as Kenya’s Rising Stars thrashed Sudan 4-0 at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Tuesday afternoon to qualify for the semi-finals of the CECAFA Under-20 Championships and move a step closer to a first ever qualification for the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Kenya finished top of the group with 10 points off three wins and a draw, and will meet the second placed team from Group B, Burundi, in the semis.
A win in the semis will earn Kenya a first ever ticket to the Junior AFCON.
Heading into the match, Kenya needed a win in the match to finish above Tanzania, but a draw would have sufficed to take them to the semis.
However, Salim Babu’s boys were in no mood to split points and showed their intent after just three minutes when Kibet scored the first of his three with a header off an Andreas Odhiambo corner.
The boys had come more chances, with Hassan Beja first skying an effort unmarked from the left after being picked out by Lawrence Okoth, before the latter saw his effort trapped under the keeper’s legs after being put through by Kibet.
Kibet score the second with sublime finish
Babu’s charges would double their lead five minutes to the break, Kibet scoring his second with a sweeping curl into the far right corner after a brilliant cross from William Gitama.
In the second half, Sudan almost pulled one back when Waheed Shandi’s cross curled through on target, but the hawk-eyed Ibrahim Wanzala managed to tip it behind the bar.
The on-song Kibet came close to another goal in the 58th minute but his rasping low shot was scrambled behind by the keeper.
Stars ultimately scored the third goal later on in the game when Kevin Wangaya scored his fourth of the tournament with a brilliant first time shot after a Sudanese defender controlled the ball straight into his path.
Kibet then completed his hatrick in added time with a sublime low shot from inside the box to hand the Rising Stars a comfortable victory and a clean sheet into the last four.
