African Youth Championship

Saturday

Group A
Ghana        2-0   Rwanda
Cameroon  3-0   Mali

Ghana and Cameroon yesterday qualified for the Fifa U-20 World Cup due in Egypt later this year. 

Ghana’s Black Satellites ended Rwanda’s chances of claiming a semi-final spot as well securing her ticket to event with a 2-0 win at Amahoro stadium while Cameroon thrashed Group A bottom side Mail 3-0 to take their points tally to five, one ahead of Rwanda who after the Ghana defeat remain on four points having beaten Mail on the first day and drawn with Cameroon in their second game.

Ransford Osei broke Rwanda’s resistance on the 68th minute and 80th minute to send the two time African champions to semi finals and for Ghana to clinch her place at the Fifa U-20 World Cup.

The Maccabi Haifa striker scored the first goal through a counter attack beating Aimable Rucogoza to the ball to easily net past Jean Luc Ndayishimiye.

The striker went on to easily head home after Arafat Serugendo and Aimable Rucogoza zeroed in on Adiyiah Dominic on the other side of the field.

The Junior Wasps wasted several chances to go in front with Ernest Kwizera and Elias Uzamukunda being the main culprits.

In the second half, Coach Obradovic Tomislav brought on Jean Claude Iranzi for the wasteful Ernest Kwizera and the ineffective Robert Muvunyi for Yusuf Ndayishimiye but the duo failed to sparkle as they all shot acres away from the goal mouth.

Man of the match Jean Mugiraneza, Kwizera shot wide while Uzamukunda failed to convert a one on one opening.

Custodian Jean Luc Ndayishimiye made three fine saves for the Junior Wasps in the opening minutes of the first half. Both sides played a cautious game in the best part of the game until they all opened up after Ghana going in front.  

In the other crucial Group A game, Cameroon sealed her place to the last four after a 3-0 win over whipping boys Mali played at Nyamirambo stadium.

A win for Ghana earned propelled them to seven points from three matches and keep their leadership of Group A  while Cameroon overtook Rwanda into second place with five points .

Rwanda finished third with four points while Mali lays bottom with no point.

Coach Obradovic Tomislav said, "There is nothing we could have done to win. We got chances and failed to win them and Ghana utilized her chances to get the win.”

"In football, there two sides of the story; you win or lose and we lost just because we failed to sharpen our boost in front of the goal but we played a good game,” Tomislav said. His counterpart, Sellas Tetteh hailed Rwanda for playing a good game.

"We played a good tactical game and Rwanda is a better side. Unlike them we won because we were patience looking for goals and when we got them, goals came our way,” Tetteh said.

Mugiraneza scoops second Samsung accolade

Rwanda U-20 star midfielder Jean Mugiraneza scooped his second Samsung Fairplay player award yesterday.

Mugiraneza who couldn’t save his team from a beating at the hands of Ghana was first named the Samsung Fairplay Player in team’s first game against Mail.  

Mugiraneza was awarded a Samsung phone for his display in his team’s 0-2 loss to Ghana in the last Group A match played yesterday.

Apart from Mugiraneza, skipper Haruna Niyonzima is the other Rwandan player who has won the Samsung award.

Ends