Sudan dares hosts Kenya in tight Cecafa final

GoTv Cecafa Challenge Cup FinalsKenya vs Sudan - 3pm 3rd-place play-offTanzania vs Zambia - 1pm THE 2013 Cecafa Cup finalists, flying Harambee Stars of Kenya and Sudan’s Falcons of Jedaine will clash in a mouth-watering final this afternoon at the Nyayo National Stadium to decide the champions of 2013. Enormous expectations weigh on the shoulders of Coach Adel Amrouche’s side which defied the odds and the pessimism of pundits to sail to the finals for the second year in a row after edging out a stubborn Tanzania 1-0 in a closely contested battle at the same venue on Tuesday evening. Amrouche, 45, has maintained that his key focus is to hand Kenya a perfect 50th birthday presents by winning the title and when his charges battle the Falcons, they will have to maintain the same tactical discipline they exhibited against Kilimanjaro Stars and be more clinical in the box. “I told my players to give Kenya a perfect gift. The country is turning 50 and it is important to win the tournament for Kenya,” he said. An emotional Amrouche had high praise for his players ahead of the crunch finale. Today’s final will coincide with Kenya’s’ 50th anniversary since independence and victory for the home side will be a befitting gift to the Independence Heroes. Kenya’s defence remains the meanest in the tournament conceding just once and Amrouche is expected to keep faith in the back four comprising the indefatigable Joackins Atudo, James Situma, David ‘Calabar’ Owino and the roving left back Aboud Omar. The back four will however have to watch out for Sudan’s danger man and tournaments top scorer Salah Ibrahim. The prolific centre forward has been in good form and built a strong case for bagging the tournament’s best player award when he drilled in a magical volley in the six yard box to deny Zambia’s Chipolopolo a place in the final courtesy of a 2-1 win at the Mombasa Municipal Stadium on Tuesday. Though Sudan is ranked at 130 globally by Fifa, 13 slots below Kenya, the contest is expected to be tightly fought with the Stars riding on the wave of home support.

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Sudan dares hosts Kenya in tight Cecafa final