Andrew Mwanguhya
1 July 2011
El Mereikh coach Hossam El-Badry, was, for wrong reasons the centre of attraction as his touchline tantrums had him sent to the stands.
The Egyptian furiously contested Somali referee Wiish Yabarow’s controversial red card to Merreik’s Badr Eldin, forcing the Sudanese side to play the last 40 minutes of their Cecafa Club Cup match with Bunnamwaya yesterday one man less.
But Bunnamwaya couldn’t capitalise on their numerical advantage and had to be at their defensive best to grit out a one-all draw at the National Stadium, Dar es Salaam. Habib Kavuma’s 38th-minute corner was turned by Mereikh defender Mustapha Saeed into his own net, the club’s third own goal in two games.
The other two came in the 2-2 draw with Yanga. Pascal Wawa had given a dominant Merreikh a 32nd minute lead after his neat play with Eldin left the entire Bunnamwaya defence flatfooted before he beat goalkeeper Hamza Muwonge, Bunnamwaya’s best player.
But hell broke loose when Yabarow showed Eldin an arguably harsh straight red for a challenge on Owen Kasule. El-Badry was so infuriated he urged his players off the pitch. The match resumed after some three minutes of verbal tirade from the coach but after another three minutes, the fourth official called to the attention of the referee El-Badry’s touchline antics and Yabarow ordered him off the bench.
El Badry went bonkers, repeatedly yelling “no, I will not go” but he later relented and was escorted away. Tony Odur, Kasule and Andy Ssali both had chances but Egyptian legendary goalkeeper El Hadary, who joined Mereikh from Al Ahly this year for $1m (Shs2.6b), was in defiant mode. However, Bunnamwaya – four points – will be happy with the result as they now need just another point in their final group match with Yanga. The Tanzanians beat Elman 2-0 with Hamis Kiiza debuting with a goal, to progress to quarter finals.
AllAfrica – All the Time
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