Tanzania/Uganda: Can Stars, Heroes Make History?

A NEW history beckons for the country’s football with a possibility of an all Tanzanian final when Mainland’s Kilimanjaro Stars and Zanzibar Heroes respectively face holders Uganda Cranes and Kenya in the semi-finals of the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup.

Kim Poulsen’s Kilimanjaro Stars will be attempting to reach their second semi-final in three years with an arduous task against hosts and defending champions, the Uganda Cranes under the Namboole Stadium floodlights, Kampala, Uganda this evening.

The mouth-watering Cranes-Stars showdown will be preceded with the first semi-final duel between Zanzibar Heroes and the Harambee Stars of Kenya at the same venue.

Both Kilimanjaro Stars and Uganda Cranes have shown an excellent display of game in their previous matches and with both teams equipped with star players and playing in such an important match, it would really be a treat for football fans all over the world.

The Cranes are still undefeated in the tournament. They beat Ethiopia 2-0 to book a slot in the last four, which was their fourth consecutive win and clean sheet of the tournament. While on the other side Kilimanjaro Stars have managed to qualify for semis while producing a fantastic blend of football– swift passing game.

The Mainland boys won two out of their three group stage matches. They launched their campaign with a 2-0 win over Sudan, slipped to a 1-0 defeat to Burundi in a match they largely dominated.

The Stars, then, bounced back strongly to sweep aside Somalia 7-0 in their last group match and comfortably beat Rwanda 2-0 in the quarter-finals to stroll into the semis. Simba playmaker Mwinyi Kazimoto who is the heart and engine of the Stars midfield showed his class and temperament against Rwanda.

“He is a very intelligent player and a great play maker. He knows where and when to put the ball and he is very hardworking,” Poulsen spoke of Kazimoto. Kazimoto assisted both goals as Kilimanjaro Stars beat Amavubi and the Ugandans will have to stop him and his Simba teammate Amri Kiemba from making dazzling passes and creating goal-scoring chances.