Samata scores to send Stars into quarters
Our hero: Kilimanjaro Stars forward Mbwana Samata controls the ball during a past match. The TP Mazembe marksman scored the solitary goal against Burundi yesterday to help Stars qualify for the Cecafa Challenge Cup quarterfinal stage. photo | file
What you need to know:
Burundi got their first corner in the 40th minute and Kili Stars ended this half with Kelvin Yondani being cautioned for rough play.
Nairobi.Kilimanjaro Stars sailed through to the 2013 Cecafa Challenge Cup quarterfinal stage after edging out Burundi 1-0 at a slippery Afraha turf in Nakuru yesterday.
The result leaves Burundi’s fate hanging in the balance as they are in danger of bowing out from the event early which will be the first time in more than five years.
Kili Stars, who struggled to edge out Somalia in their second Group B match, were more lethal yesterday and created chance after chance in an entire first half, which they dominated.
Stars were therefore, up after only eight minutes through Mbwana Samata, who headed home a well-executed pass from Mrisho Ngasa that went through two Burundi defenders and found the scorer, who headed past the impressive Arthur Arakaza in goal.
The winners were not done yet and Samata should have doubled his score six minutes later had the Burundian goalkeeper not stretched to put out the effort for Stars’ first corner of the match.
At the quarter hour-mark Ngassa was denied by Arakaza who stretched himself to put out a dipping shot for the second corner by the winners who enjoyed huge possession.
It was not until the 24th minute that Burundi had their first chance at goal after Jean Nduwimana’s volley was magnificently saved by Ivo Mapunda.
Four minutes later, Mapunda was forced to come out again this time to deny Issa Hazikimana.
Burundi got their first corner in the 40th minute and Kili Stars ended this half with Kelvin Yondani being cautioned for rough play.
Despite making many efforts to pull something from this fixture, Burundi could not just break down their opponents and will now have to wait to know if they will proceed to the last eight as best losers.
Stars’ Danish head coach Kim Poulsen applauded his charges for the performance though he cried for the missed opportunities.
“My boys played well, but we could have won with a bigger margin”, he said at the post-match press conference.
Lofty Mohammed, the Burundian coach praised the level of commitment from his team players and prayed mathematics favours his side as the struggle for the best placed losers’ slots gets underway.
