Hosts Uganda started the Council for East and Central African Football Associations (CECAFA) Senior Challenge Cup campaign with a 4-0 humbling of arch-rivals Rwanda on Thursday evening at Mandela Stadium, Namboole in Kampala.
The much anticipated game that attracted over 3,000 fans saw the home side dictate the pace from the start of the match, but the visitors put-up a spirited fight to manage a barren draw at half time.
The Amavubi Stars of Rwanda, who played as a unit in the first half, totally lost their plot on resumption to concede a goal in the 58th minute through a Tony Mawejje's free kick.
The goal disorganized the Amavubi pattern of play as they attacked to try and get an equalizer, but only left the midfield flat and defense over stretched.
Amavubi goalkeeper Jean Claude Ndoli was unlucky to get badly injured in the 66th minute as he came out to try and stop advancing Cranes striker Ceaser Okuti, but caused a penalty and got injured in the process.
As Kenyan referee Alfred Ndinya pointed to the spot, Ndoli was being rushed to hospital in an ambulance. Uganda's defender Simeon Masaba stepped forward and netted past substitute goalkeeper Patrick Rutayisire.
With five minutes to full time substitutes Brian Owony and Stephen Bengo scored two more goals to dent Rwanda's chances of making it to the next round.
"This is a perfect start to the tournament," said Uganda Scottish tactician Bobby Williamson after the match.
However, Rwanda's Croatian coach Branko Tucak was a disappointed man after the final whistle. He told Xinhua in an interview after the game that the referee had clearly denied them a penalty in the first half after Kamana Bokota Labama had been brought down.
"We have started so badly, but I hope we can get the team together and win our next games in the group," added Tucak, who is having his first feel of the Cecafa championship.
After Zanzibar's 2-0 win over Somalia in an earlier game at the same stadium, Rwanda now needs to win their next two games to brighten their chances of making it to the later stages of the tournament.
Action in Group B will resume on Friday in Bugembe stadium as Djibouti face Burundi and Kenya battle table leaders Chipolopolo of Zambia.
The regional tournament sponsored by British based GTV has a tune of 60,000 U.S. dollars as prize money at stake. The winner will walk away with 30,000 dollars, the runner-up 20,000 dollars and the third placed team 10,000 dollars.
Group A has Rwanda, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Somalia and hosts Uganda. Group B has Sudan, Kenya, Zambia, Burundi and Djibouti.
Zambia was invited to replace Eritrea who withdrew from the championship citing a slippery political environment in the Horn of Africa nation.
(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2009)
