10 Man Uganda Cranes Edge Sudan Falcons in CHAN Qualifiers First Leg:

2016 CHAN Qualifiers- 3rd round, First Leg.
FT: UGANDA 2-0 SUDAN:
Uganda Cranes Captain Farouk Miya led by example by scoring one of the two goals that have given his team a 2-0 advantage ahead of the return leg in Khartoum .
Assisted by Keziron Kizito, Miya drove the ball from 40 yards out before slotting home by his weak left foot ten minutes from half time. Frank Kalanda had taken advantage of Sudan’s poor defending to put the cranes ahead fifteen minutes into the game. The URA FC striker forced goal keeper Yassein Yousif Maki to save his header before Muzamiru Mutyaba hit the rebound to help Kalanda score on his second attempt.
Ceaser Okhuti almost put the hosts in the lead just 2 minutes after kickoff but he failed to keep his header on target. Frank Kalanda followed suit by heading wide Muzamiru’s cross two minutes later.
Ten minutes later, Miya saw his half volley going just over the bar. Yassein made sure the game goes into half time 2-0 when he dived to save Mutyaba’s wonder strike.
Apart from the four corner kicks, the visitors had little to show in the first 45 minutes.
On return, the cranes still ruled the game for the first 10 minutes of second half but things changed immediately the visitors introduced Atif Khalid who replaced Omer Mahmoud in the 52nd minute.
In the 55th minute, Uganda was reduced to 10 men after Defender Hassan Wasswa Dazo’s foul in the forbidden area on Mohamed Koko led to his send off and a penalty.
Luckily for the Cranes, James Alitho stood firm to save the low powered Mudather Eltaib’s kick.
Cranes coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojecvic was forced to withdraw attacking midfielder Keziron Kizito for Full back Denis Okoth in the 62nd minute. This meant Lweza FC’s skipper whom Micho had played in the full back position had to shift to the centre to partner Shafik Bakaki.
Three minutes later, the Serb brought in another defensive midfielder Hakim Ssenkumba in the place of forward Mutyaba Muzamiru.
Striker Tony Odur ended the substitute quota for the home side when he came on for fellow Express FC striker Ceaser Okhuti in the 78th minute.
The visitors also used all their substitutes bringing on Waleed Bakhet for Abuaagla Abdalla in the 68th minute while Amin Ibrahim replaced Khatab Faisal in the 86th minute. Substitute Waleed almost grabbed an away goal for the Falcons but his shot went just inches wide.
The two sides meet in eight days in Khartoum to determine who qualifies for the finals to be held by Rwanda early next year.

Vicent Kakooza