NAIROBI, Kenya, October 20 – The national under-20 football team wrapped up their Cecafa Under 20 campaign on a disappointing note after losing 2-1 to Tanzania in the final on Sunday at the KMC Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Hassan Beja put the Rising Stars in the lead, two minutes after halftime, latching on to a loose ball in the penalty area to fire into the bottom left corner.
The hosts, buoyed by a capacity home crowd, piled pressure in a bid to level the scores although coach Salim Babu’s boys were always a threat going forward.
Tanzania finally got their equaliser in the 64th minute when Valentino Mshanga caught the Kenyan backline napping, firing a right-footed shot past Ibrahim Wanzala between the posts.
The goal seemed to whet the appetite of the Gorogoro Heroes who went in search of the winner, often peppering the Kenyans’ danger area with crosses from the both flanks.
A cross from the right in the 83rd minute finally bore fruits, Mshanga chesting down the ball for Shakhan Ahmed whose left-footed scorcher slipped through the arms of Wanzala.
Even with the loss, Rising Stars will be returning with their heads held high, having made history by securing their place at next year’s Africa Under 20 Championships – their maiden appearance at that stage of the competition.
