Yesterday results
Uganda 7-0 Djibouti
Rwanda 2-1 Eritrea

The national football team, Amavubi Stars got off to a brilliant start as they beat Eritrea 2-1 in the GTV Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup fixture played yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The Amavubi Stars and Rayon Sport striker Labama Kamana Bokota scored a winner, one minute to half time to save newly appointed Coach Josip Kuze from close humiliation over light weight Eritrea.

The Amavubi stars went ahead in the 8th minute through a Haruna Niyonzima strike. It was not too late as the Eritreans cancelled out Haruna’s goal to stage their own challenge.

The SMS media best player of the year converted in Olivier Uwingabire’s cross on the 44th minute to award Rwanda its major and deserved points of the game.

Rwanda was last grouped against Eritrea during the 2005 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup which was held in Kigali.  Rwanda won the group tie 3-2 to advance to the later stages of the event before losing to Ethiopia 1-0 in the final game.

The result means that Amavubi Stars’ chances of reaching the quarter-finals are bright. Group favorites Uganda feasted on Djibouti which they walloped 7-0 in the earlier game.

Three teams progress from the groups A&B. Kuze’s boys have built confidence and are confident to lead group B as they will be avoiding facing Sudan from Group C or Tanzania from Group A in the quarterfinals once they lose out on the first spot.

The 1998 winners, Rwanda is among the 11 countries contesting for regional supremacy in addition to $30,000 (about Frw 16M) prize money at stake for the eventual champion. The Amavubi stars who finished third in last year’s edition under former coach Michael Nees hope for a step ahead with new coach Kuze.
Ends