Kenya’s U18 football team, the Junior Stars, currently lead Pool A in the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) U18 Championship after an impressive performance on Saturday in Kisumu.
The team secured a dominant 5-0 victory over Sudan, earning them three points and the top position in the pool with three points.
CECAFA U18 pool A
In another match, Rwanda secured a narrow 1-0 win against Somalia, placing them second in the pool with three points too. Somalia and Sudan have no points.
The scoring spree for the Junior Stars began early in the match at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium, with Louise Ingavi opening the scoring just six minutes into the game.
Tyron Junior extended the lead to 2-0 after 27 minutes, followed by Aldrine Kibet adding his name to the scoresheet in the 33rd minute.
5th goal on CECAFA U18
Ingavi netted his second goal just before halftime, securing a 4-0 lead. In the second half, despite Sudan’s attempts to change their approach, Elly Owande scored in the 88th minute, sealing the victory with a final score of 5-0.
In the earlier fixture, a 10-man Rwanda team overcame the odds to defeat Somalia 1-0. Despite losing goalkeeper Eric Byiringiro to a red card in the 37th minute, Rwanda maintained their resilience.
Sibomana Sultan Bobo scored the decisive goal after the break, securing the 1-0 victory for Rwanda.
Looking ahead, Group B action is set to commence with Zanzibar facing South Sudan, followed by Tanzania taking on Uganda in the second match. The CECAFA U-18 Boys Championship, featuring eight participating teams, is scheduled to culminate with the final on December 8, 2023.
