Andrew Mwanguhya
10 December 2011
Abel Dhaira saved two penalties to hand Uganda a record breaking Cecafa title after edging Rwanda 3-2 on spot kicks at the National Stadium, Dar es Salaam on Saturday.
The Cranes had twice come from behind to draw 2-2 and force the game into extra time. Isaac Isinde, Hamis Kiiza and Andy Mwesigwa scored Uganda Cranes’ kicks but Moses Oloya had his saved by Jean Claude Ndoli. Habib Kavuma skied his.
Haruna Niyonzima and Meddy Kagere converted the Amavubi Stars’ kicks but Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza struck the post before Dhaira saved Peter Kagabo and Eric Gasana’s.
Kagere (51, 79) had earlier netted a second half normal time brace for Rwanda. Isinde (77) scored his second in two successive games before Olivier Karekezi’s (80) own goal completed Uganda Cranes’ comeback.
The opening exchanges were even with both sides playing attacking football. Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic’s Rwanda showed brilliant coordination in the passing game and were disciplined in defence. But Uganda soon displayed more firepower going forward, with Dan Wagaluka breaking free on the right in the seventh minute but the APR winger delayed to cut it in for the waiting Mike Sserumaga.
Emma Okwi could have twice done better when he shot wide with goalkeeper Ndori at his mercy.
The impressive Ndori then pulled off the save of the half, stretching furthest to keep out Tonny Mawejje’s looping ball outside the 18 yard area after half an hour.
Ndori was again defiant, parrying away Okwi’s hard shot from the area. Rwanda were unlucky with Andrew Buteera and Ismail Nshutiyamagara being stretched off with injuries midway the first period.
Rwanda’s best chance of the half fell to Olivier Karekezi, the big man through but Dhaira saved luminously. The Rwandans returned from the break and turned the tide, Jean Claude Iranzi and Kagere giving Mwesigwa and Isinde an afternoon to forget.
Iranzi picked the ball from the midfield, sprayed a pass to Kagere, who outpaced Mwesigwa before sweetly beating Dhaira to the low right far post for Rwanda’s 1-0 lead on 51 munutes.
Cranes coach Bobby Williamson had to make quick succession changes to impact the game, first introducing Moses Oloya for Wagaluka, then Patrick Ochan for Musa Mudde and Hamis Kiiza for Sserumaga. But the momentum was still with Rwanda; Karekezi ensuring Isinde did not have a smooth afternoon. He beat the St George Ugandan defender twice but on both occasions Dhaira saved brilliantly.
Uganda recomposed and Sula Matovu rattled the cross bar after Ndori punched Kavuma’s free kick in his way on 73 minutes.
Four minutes later, another free kick from Kavuma found Oloya on the far post and his cut-back was fiercely volleyed in by Isinde inside the area to restore parity.
It wasn’t done. Rwanda went ahead again two minutes later when Kagere received a high ball inside the area before going past Kavuma and Isinde and beating Dhaira on his right for his second of the day.
Uganda were level again to complete the crazy three minutes but this time Karekezi heading in his own net Okwi’s header under pressure from Kiiza on 80 minutes.
Just as it was on Thursday’s semifinal against Tanzania, it had to go into extra time. The two extra time halves were open and both sides could have won it.
Dhaira was defiant in the spot kicks as he saved two to win his second Cecafa title and Cranes’ 12th. The number 12 is magical in a sense that the closest challenger for most Cecafa titles, Kenya, have won it seven times less.
AllAfrica – All the Time