Bring on Sudan: U17 coach

What you need to know:

  • Serengeti Boys and Sudan face off in the Under-17 Af-rica Cup of Nations – Cecafa zone- match today at the National Stadium. Mirambo said yesterday that there were no injuries to worry about at their camp.

Dar es Salaam. The national U-17 soccer team, Seren-geti Boys, coach, Oscar Mirambo, has urged his players to stay focused on their clash against Sudan.

Serengeti Boys and Sudan face off in the Under-17 Af-rica Cup of Nations – Cecafa zone- match today at the National Stadium. Mirambo said yesterday that there were no injuries to worry about at their camp.

“Our target is to win the tournament. My players are in high spirits, raring to turn tables on Sudan in tomorrow’s (today’s) match,” he said. Serengeti must win the Group A match if they are to remain serious contenders for a place in the last four of regional qualifying tournament.

Currently, they sit second in the group with three points, three adrift of group leaders Rwanda, who notched up convincing wins in their first two matches. The Rwanda team beat Sudan 3-1 before registering a 4-3 win over Burundi in the closely-contested match at Azam Complex on Monday.

Burundi and Sudan are at the bottom of the four-team group with no point.

In their first match, the Tanzanian boys put up a spirit-ed to beat 2-1 at the 60,000-seater venue.

On Monday, Rwanda became the first team to reach the quarter-finals from the group after beating Burundi 4-3 at the Azam Complex.

The win took Rwanda’s Junior Wasps to the summit of Group A.

Moise Nyarugabo broke the stalemate for Rwanda in the 22nd minute before a solo effort by Arsene Irakunda saw Burundi draw level.

Midfielder Rodrigue Isingizwe and Keddy Nsanzimfura scored just before recess to give Rwanda a 3-1 lead at breather. Isingizwe punished the Burundian backline with the second goal on 42 minutes before Nsanzimfura struck from a free-kick a minute later. Munaba Edson reduced the deficit for Burundi three minutes before the hour mark after a spirited start to the second half.

However, their efforts were dealt a major blow when Nyarugabo scored the fourth goal for the Junior Wasps in the 62nd minute to seal victory.

Eight minutes later, Flavier Iratanga gave Burundi a glimmer of hope to make it 4-3.

In the 78th minutes, Rwanda’s Jean Rene Ishimwe was given marching orders by referee for a second bookable offence, but the Junior Wasps held on to claim victory. Two teams in each group will qualify for the quarter-finals.

Apart of group A, which comprises four teams after Somalia’s decision to pull out in the last minute, Group B consists of South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Djibouti.

Serengeti Boys have qualified for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals by virtue of being hosts.