The Citizen<\/a> (Dar\u00a0es\u00a0Salaam)<\/p>\nMajuto Omary<\/p>\n
2 December 2011<\/p>\n
\nDar es Salaam \u2014 Rwanda’s national soccer team, Amavubi, survived a scare before registering a 5-2 win over Djibouti in an exciting match of the Cecafa Tusker Challenge Cup yesterday.<\/p>\n
Djibouti seemed destined to cause an upset when they took a 2-1 half time lead in the Group A match at the National Stadium.Three minutes into the game, Kamana Labama latched into a cross by Mugiraneza Jean Baptist to score the match opener for Rwanda.<\/p>\n
Djibouti’s Daoud Hassan cancelled the Amavubi’s lead in the 25th minute with a superb shot that went straight into the yawning net.Ten minutes later, Hassan came into the picture, this time with a close range drive off a Chamark Nour pass.<\/p>\n
On resumption, Amavubi came out a more aggressive side and levelled matters three minutes before the hour mark through Baptist after he was set up by Ngabo Robert.<\/p>\n
Sensing the danger of losing the game, Djibouti resorted to a defensive play, knowing little that it could cost them dearly.Substitute Olivier Karekezi is a player who killed off whatever hopes Djibouti had to stun the Rwanda team.<\/p>\n
The agile striker netted the third goal for Amavubi in the 77th minute with a diving header and made it 4-2 two minutes later.He sealed the score for the Rwanda team in the 85th minute to grab a hat-trick and enable his team to finish top of Group A.<\/p>\n
A few minutes earlier, Djibouti suffered a blow when referee Wiish Yabarow from Somalia gave their midfielder Chamark Nour a red card for indiscipline.Amavubi, gunning for their first Cecafa Tusker Challenge Cup title, will now face the best losers in the group stage on Monday.<\/p>\n
Zanzibar Heroes, who beat Somalia 3-0 in their last group stage match on Thursday, will likely finish the best losers when the group stage winds up today.<\/p>\n
In yesterday’s other match, Malawi’s Flames joined teams that are through to the knock out stage of the tournament after battling to a one-all draw with 10-man Ethiopia at the same venue.<\/p>\n
Ethiopia broke the stalemate in the 15th minute through a penalty by Adane Gebreyes.Referee awarded the Ethiopians the spot kick after Malawi’s defender Siyeni Zoya handled the ball in the box in desperate efforts to clear a dangerous move.<\/p>\n
Substitute Henry Kabichi levelled matters a few minutes after coming in for injured John Banda.<\/p>\n
In the 89th minute, referee Israel Mujusi gave Gebreyes marching orders for elbowing a Malawi defender.<\/p>\n
AllAfrica – All the Time<\/p>\n
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