Uganda’s midfielder Hakim Mutebi has been voted best player at the CECAFA U-18 Boys Championship that concluded on Friday in Kisumu, Kenya.

Mutebi who also features for Uganda Premier League side SC Villa netted Uganda’s second goal in their 2-1 win against Kenya in the final.

” I am very happy to win this Award. I thank my team members for working hard and win the title, ” said Mutebi after receiving his Award from the President of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), Wallace Karia.

Kenyan striker who finished the Championship with three goals picked the top scorer’s Award presented by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President, Nick Mwendwa. The Nastic Sports Academy player in Spain said as a striker it was a good feeling to win this Award which will motivate him to keep working hard.

Ibrahim Baraza Wanzala was voted Best goalkeeper in the Championship. Wanzala who  saved two penalty kicks during their semi final win against Tanzania also features for Kenya Premier League side, Kakamega Homeboyz FC.

Tanzania who finished third and picked bronze medals also scooped the Fair Play Award. The winners Uganda and runner-up Kenya received their gold and silver medals respectively.

The Awards ceremony were graced by the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts in Kenya, Ababu Namwamba as the chief guest.

The other members who attended included President of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), Wallace Karia, Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa and his Vice Doris Petra, South Sudan Football Association President Augustino Maduot Parek and Executive member of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) Rogers Byamukama.

Awards

Best Player – Hakim Mutebi (Uganda)

Top Scorer – Aldrine Kibet (Kenya)

Best Goalkeeper – Ibrahim Baraza Wanzala (Kenya)

Fair Play Award – Tanzania

Gold medal – Uganda

Silver medal – Kenya

Bronze medal – Tanzania

Uganda battled from a goal down to defeat hosts Kenya 2-1 in the final of the CECAFA U-18 Boys Championship on Friday.

Playing infront of a fully packed Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium the two teams came all out and created some scoring opportunities early in the half, but failed to put them away. The hosts returned from the break to take the lead after 65 minutes through Syphas Otieno Owuor.

But Uganda kept pushing and equalised 12 minutes later through Batiibwe Okello. After the 90 minutes the two teams returned to play another extra 30 minutes. Uganda netted the second goal through Hakim Mutebi after 92 minutes to make it 2-1.

The Ugandan team managed to sit back and absorb the pressure as they defended in numbers.

It was all celebration after the final whistle for the Ugandan team. ” The players have accomplished the job and lifted the title, ” said a happy Ugandan coach Morley Byekwaso Ochama.

Instrumental midfielder for Uganda Travis Mutyaba who also features for the senior national team said it was a sweet win for the team. ” We worked so hard and showed determination having lost our first match in the tournament against Tanzania, ” he added.

Tanzania beat Rwanda to finish third in an earlier match. Zidane Ally Sereri, Said Said and John Misheto netted for the tanzanian side, while Didie Ndayishiniye found the net for Rwanda.

The Awards ceremony were graced by the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts in Kenya, Ababu Namwamba. The other members who attended included President of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), Wallace Karia, Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa and his Vice Doris Petra, South Sudan Football Association President Augustino Maduot Parek.

All collected results

Somalia 0 Rwanda 1

Kenya 5 Sudan 0

Tanzania 1 Uganda 0

Zanzibar 1 South Sudan 0

Kenya 1 Rwanda 0

Somalia 3 Sudan 0

Tanzania 1 South Sudan 2

Zanzibar 1 Uganda 2

Rwanda 3 Sudan 0

Kenya 4 Somalia 1

Uganda 2 South Sudan 0

Tanzania 1 Zanzibar 1

Semis

Uganda 1 Rwanda 0

Kenya 0 (4) Tanzania 0 (3)

Playoff

Rwanda 1 Tanzania 3

Final

Uganda 2 Kenya 1

It’s the final day of the CECAFA U-18 Boys Championship 2023 as Uganda face hosts Kenya in the final at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu on Friday.

But before the final, the play-off match to determine which team takes third place will see Rwanda battling Tanzania.

The two finalists each topped their groups ahead of the semi final stage, with Uganda edging Rwanda 1-0 in the knock out round, while Kenya overcame Tanzania 4-3 in penalties after the two teams had tied goalless.

Salim Babu, the Kenya head coach has made it clear that although facing Uganda will not be an easy task, he has called upon Kenyans to come in large numbers and motivate the team. ” Our team is well prepared for the final, but we shall also need all the support, ” added Babu.

The home side will look to their leading scorers Aldrine Kipchirchir Kibet who has netted three goals together with Humphrey Omondi Aroko and Louise Ingavi who have two goals each.

But the Ugandan coach Morley Byekwaso Ochama who also led the Uganda team to the final of the AFCON U-20 held in Mauritania 2021 says his players have what it takes to win the final and carry the trophy back home. ” It is not always easy playing a host in the final, but my team has kept improving since the tournament started and they are motivated for the final, ” added the Ugandan coach.

Although Uganda has not scored many goals in the Championship, they will look to the industrious Travis Mutyaba who also featured in the CECAFA U-15 Championship in Eritrea in 2019.

All the eight teams used the Zonal Championship to prepare ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) U-20 qualifiers next year.

All collected results

Somalia 0 Rwanda 1

Kenya 5 Sudan 0

Tanzania 1 Uganda 0

Zanzibar 1 South Sudan 0

Kenya 1 Rwanda 0

Somalia 3 Sudan 0

Tanzania 1 South Sudan 2

Zanzibar 1 Uganda 2

Rwanda 3 Sudan 0

Kenya 4 Somalia 1

Uganda 2 South Sudan 0

Tanzania 1 Zanzibar 1

Semis

Uganda 1 Rwanda 0

Kenya 0 (4) Tanzania 0 (3)

Kenya’s assistant coach Anthony Akhulia has made it clear they are determined to try and win the CECAFA U-18 Boys Championship as a reward to all Kenyans.

The Junior Stars of Kenya qualified for the final after a hard fought 4-3 win in penalty shootouts against Tanzania in the second semi final of the Zonal tournament played at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu on Tuesday.

After playing 120 minutes without goals, it was Kenya’s goalkeeper Ibrahim Wanzala was the man of the match saving two penalty kicks taken by Said Said and Sharif Wilson.

The second semi final saw Uganda edge Rwanda 1-0 with Abubaker Mayanja netting the lone goal after 54 minutes. Morley Byekwaso Ochama, the Ugandan coach said they will try to prepare better for the final because there will be a lot at stake.

Kenya will now face Uganda in the final on Friday, while Rwanda take on Tanzania in the play-off for third place.

” We are happy that Kenyans have supported us since this tournament started last week and we ask them to come again and support us during the final which will be a tough match, ” said Akhulia.

The coach made it clear that against Uganda they must make some tactical changes because they will face a strong side. ” We believe the final will be very difficult, but we shall try and win it for the Kenyans, ” added Akhulia.

In the group stage Kenya beat Sudan 5-0, followed up with a 1-0 win against Rwanda, and saw off Somalia 4-1. For Uganda they started with a 1-0 defeat to Tanzania, stopped Zanzibar 2-1 and completed the group games with a 2-0 victory against South Sudan.