Today’s fixtures

Third-place play-off
Uganda vs Ethiopia - 2pm

Final

Tanzania vs Ivory Coast - 4pm

HOSTS Tanzania are a game away from ending their 16-year wait. The Kilimanjaro Stars, who last won the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup back in 1994, face Ivory Coast in this year’s final this afternoon in Dar es Salaam.

Coach Jan Poulsen is eager to avoid what happened in 2002 when the team reached the final only to lose to Kenya’s Harambee Stars 2-3.

He said, "We have the home crowd advantage and we want to pounce on it. Ivory Coast is a big footballing nation and will give everything they have but we are prepared.”  Poulsen is expected to welcome back Norway based midfielder Henry Joseph and Mohammed Banka who missed the semi final match against Uganda due to injuries.

Ivory Coast, the only surviving guest side with both Malawi and Zambia ejected at the quarter-final stage, is using the competition as a build up to next year’s CHAN competition which will be held in Khartoum, Sudan.

Should the West Africans win the event, they will pocket the winners’ cash prize $30,000 but the trophy will be reserved for the losing finalist and Ivory Coast coach Georges Kouadio is optimistic his side can prevail.

"I have no worry playing against Tanzania. My team has been improving game by game and I’m sure we will win tomorrow (today),” Kouadio said yesterday.
With Kipre Tchetche fit for the game, Ivory Coast’s morale is sky high.

The bustling Jeunesse Club d’Abidjan striker has already scored four goals in the competition.

Prior to the final, Uganda will face Ethiopia in a third place play-off. The losing finalist will settle for $20,000 while $10,000 is reserved for the third team.

Ends