SaturdayGroup AEthiopia 0-1 Rwanda

Group BBurundi 1-0 Zanzibar

SundayGroup ASomalia vs Tanzania

Group BKenya vs Uganda

Rwanda beat hosts Ethiopia 1-0 in the first match in Group A of this year’s CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in Addis Ababa on Saturday to give under-fire coach Johnny McKinstry his first win after six consecutive defeats.

The lone goal of the game was scored by forward Jacques Tuyisenge through a well-taken free kick on the 54th minute. In the opening match of the tournament, Azam FC striker Didier Kavumbago scored for Burundi on the 39th minutes as they defeated Zanzibar 1-0 in Group B.

Ethiopia dominated Rwanda at their Yidnekachew Tessema Stadium after bringing in Yihun Endashaw and Yared Baye for their national team debut in this game but failed to make any impact against solid Amavubi defense marshaled by APR FC’s paring of Faustin Usengimana and Abdoul Rwatubyaye.

Amavubi are seeking to win the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup title for the first time since 1999—the team’s next game will be against Tanzania on Tuesday before winding up their group stage campaign facing lowly Somalia three days later.

McKinstry said before the team departed for Addis that he will be using the two-week long tournament to give all his players the chances to prove their value ahead of the 2016 CHAN tournament which will be held in Rwanda from January 16 through February 7 in the three city of Kigali, Huye and Rubavu.

Rwanda has played in five finals since 1999 but failed win the regional event, they lost against Uganda Cranes three times in 2003, 2009 and 2011 while in 2005 they lost against Ethiopia and Sudan in 2007.

The 2014 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup didn’t take place after none of the 12 member countries expressed interest in hosting the tournament on short notice.

The Kenya Harambee Stars are the defending champions after they defeated the Falcons of Sudan 2-0 in the final two years ago in Nairobi while Uganda is the most successful country with 13 titles.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw