Kilimanjaro Queens face a must-win Cecafa duel

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Mainland’s Kilimanjaro Queens face a stern test today when they take on Kenya in a must-win Cecafa Women Challenge Cup match in Kigali, Rwanda.

After going down 1-0 to hosts She-Amavubi in their first match Thursday, the Queens head into today’s clash knowing nothing short of a victory will guarantee them a place in the next stage of the tournament.

A 34th minute header by the hosts’ Alice Kalimba condemned defending champions Kilimanjaro Queens to a 1-0 defeat at Kigali Stadium.

It was a befitting revenge for the Rwanda team against the Tanzanian girls, who beat them 3-2 at the 2016 edition in Uganda.

In 2016, the last time the tournament was held, Rwanda did not go beyond the group stage as they suffered two identical 3-2 defeats at the hands of Tanzania and Ethiopia.

In Thursday’s match, Kalimba, who plays for AS Kigali Club, came off the bench to give the hosts the goal they needed to make a positive start in the tournament.

Harambee Starlets, as Kenya women’s soccer team is popularly known, also need a win to avoid early elimination in the championship.

In their first match, they lost 1-0 to their Ugandan counterparts, She Cranes.

Kilimanjaro Queens head coach, Bakari Shime said yesterday that he had addressed all the weaknesses he noted during their first encounter.

The match, which starts at 5.30pm, will be preceded by an encounter between Uganda and Ethiopia, which kicks off at 3pm.

“We can’t afford another defeat tomorrow (todays). We know that we must win if we are to remain in contention for a place in the next stage of the tournament,” Shime said.

He blamed Thursday’s defeat on poor finishing, saying his team enjoyed the lion’s share of the game but failed to turn into goals chances they created.