CECAFA U-20 CHALLENGE CUP: Eritrea top Group A after big 7-0 win over Djibouti  

Surprise package Eritrea have finished top of Group A at the on-going Cecafa U-20 Challenge Cup after they humbled Djibouti 7-0 in their last game played on Wednesday. The win elevated Eritrea to top of the log after Uganda later settled for a 2-2 draw against Sudan. Eritrea finished with five points, but with a better goal difference than Sudan and Uganda who also collected the same number of points.

Eritrea’s U-20 started the game with a high tempo to take a 2-0 half time lead with goals by Michael Robel Reklem and Ali Suleiman Ibrahim.

Djibouti tried to hold back in the second half with a lot of defending, but Mewal Tesfai Yosief added two more goals to take his tally to four in the tournament.

Eritrea’s Simon Asmelash Mekonen, Michael Habte Gebremeskel and Ismael Sitan Jahar also got their names on the score sheet.

“My team attacked well today and scored many goals. But generally I am proud that we did not suffer defeat in the group stages nd qualified for the quarter finals,” said Eritrea’s coach Efem Alemseged.

In the second game Uganda took a 2-0 goal lead with Steven Serwadda and Bright Anukani scoring. But the Sudan team fought back to get goals through Nahom Awet Mehari and Mohanmed Abbas Namir.

Group A standings

P    W   D    L   GF  GA  A    Pts

Eritrea  3     1    2    0   11    4    7     5

Sudan   3     1    2    0     9    5    4     5

Uganda 3    1    2    0     8    4    4     5

Djibouti 3    0    0    3     1  16  -15   0