Zanzibar crash out

By Mohammed Ugasa

9th December 2010

KIKOSI CHA ZANZIBAR  

Emmanuel Okwi sealed off Uganda the Cranes’ semifinal berth after scoring the fifth penalty in the dramatic shootouts to win by 7-5 goals at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

The teams had leveled on 2-2 goals at the end of the regulation time with Zanzibar needing a late equaliser when Aggrey Morris headed home a well taken free kick by Abdi Kassim.

The hard fighting Zanzibar side twice came from behind to pull the equalizers. It was Robert Sserumanga of the eleven-time Challenge Cup winners Uganda who broke the deadlock after 14 minutes when he beat goalkeeper Mwadini Ali with a sizzling shot.

Khamis Mcha pulled the first equaliser for Zanzibar after 35 minutes when his free kick ricocheted into the net to beat Uganda’s goalkeeper Robert Odangkara.

The teams resumed with either side looking for the killer goal but it was the foreigners who dictated terms when Zanzibar conceded the penalty expertly converted by Okwi to regain the lead midway into the second half.

Morris’s hard fought equaliser was celebrated by the entire spectators in the stadium as either side would not be able to break the tie when the shootouts were looming.

Uganda were the first to take the penalty through Isinde Isaac while Zanzibar player Morris fumbled when his turn came to give Uganda the all important edge as the shootouts continued.

Uganda converted all the five penalties as Okwi beat goalkeeper Ali to herald an end of the road for Zanzibar who cruised into the quarterfinal stage as best losers from Group B.

Zanzibar, who won the third place during the previous edition of the tournament staged in Nairobi last year, have now been reduced to mere spectators.

The Isles team played with their English coach John Stewart Hall on the terraces after picking up a red card during their final group stage match against Rwanda.

Assistant coach Hemed Morocco took charge but the team crashed out through poor penalty shooting and inexperienced goalkeeping by Ali.

Uganda scored their penalties through Isinde Isaac, Ibrahim Sadam Juma, Godfrey Walusimbi, Tonny Mwaweje and Okwi.

Zanzibar had their penalties scored by Wazir Omar, Nadir Haroub and Abdulhalim Homoud while Aggrey Morris had his penalty saved by Ugandan goalkeeper Robert Odangkara.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN