Uganda Cranes  are the 2019 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup winners after beating Eritrea 3-0 in Kampala on Thursday.

They got the three goals from Bright Anukani, Mustafa Kizza and Joel Madondo and won their record 15th title in front of their home fans.

Eritrea started the match a better side and almost got an opener in the seventh minute but Uganda’s defenders dealt with the danger presented especially by Robel Kidane exquisitely. 

Allan Okello thought he had scored the first goal for Uganda but the referee ruled his effort out for offside. The KCCA FC forward had connected well to Kizza’s free-kick and headed home but he was adjudged to have been in an offside position in the 11th minute.

Eritrea would have broken the deadlock in the 22nd minute after a swift counter-attack but their forward surge was abruptly cut short by the assistant referee’s raised flag who indicated Kidane was offside. 

Anukani opened the scoring for the hosts in the 31st minute when he successfully tapped in Okello’s cross into the net as the Eritrea defenders were caught unaware.

Joakim Ojera managed to volley the ball over Eritrea’s goalkeeper Haile Kibrom in the 37th minute but the referee ruled out the goal for offside again.

Kizza got the second goal for the record Cecafa Cup winners in the 67th minute as a retreating Eritrean side found it difficult to deal with Uganda’s incessant attacks.

Karim Watambala would have made it 3-0 for Uganda in the 73rd minute but he was unable to beat Kibrom in Eritrea’s goal even after being clinically put through on goal by Bayo.

The Cranes added the third goal in the 88th minute when Madondo planted the ball into the net from a Ben Ocen cross.