Kilimanjaro Stars face ‘non-performers’ Sudan

Saturday resultsGroup BBurundi 0-0 TanzaniaGroup CEthiopia 0-0 Sudan TodayQuarter-finals (Live on GTV)Burundi v EritreaSudan v TanzaniaDAR ES SALAAM - Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro Stars are up for a busy task as they face Sudan in the quarter-finals of the GTV/Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup this afternoon at the national stadium Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The home side under their Brazilian coach Marcio Maximo will have to beat the odds and find a long lasting resolution of winning this game, a feat which also enable them reach the semi-finals of the lucrative tournament. The Kilimanjaro stars’ fans seem to have lost faith in their team due to the poor performances in the group stages. The hosts finished second in group A, level on seven points with Burundi but the Intamba ku Rugamba have a better goal difference over Tanzania (4-3). A slim 1-0 win over Somalia on Wednesday as well as a goalless draw against Burundi on Saturday provoked local fans here to lose any hope of their team’s chances of winning this year’s regional title on home soil. However, Maximo and Stars are the only figures who can overturn the fans’ decision if they overpower Sudan today. On the other hand, Sudan who finished second in Group C with two points must prove its presence in this year’s tournament despite reaching the finals of the 2006 edition. Sudan didn’t perform as it was expected as it earned its points from draws; against Ethiopia and Zanzibar. The other quarter-final fixture is the battle between unbeaten Burundi and Eritrea.British Gateway television GTV has confirmed to broadcast live all the final stages of this year’s regional tournament which unfolds today. The GTV project manager for Cecafa Mark Wilkin said, “GTV will broadcast live matches on its station starting with the quarter-finals of the Cecafa tournament,”Wilkin announced the schedule of telecasting the matches. The quarterfinals will be held on Monday and Tuesday with matches beginning at 12.30 pm and 3pm (local time). These matches will go straight to penalties if after 90 minutes nothing separates the two teams. Semi-finals will be held on Wednesday and Thursday from 2 pm. The matches will go to extra time if there are no winner after 90 minutes and then post match penalties should the need arises. GTV have exclusive broadcast rights to all Cecafa tournaments after signing a $6million four-year partnership deal with the council. Thanks to satellite television station teams can fight it out for a total prize money package of $60,000. Winners will pocket $30,000 runners up $20,000 and the third placed team $10,000. Wilkins said the matches will be shown in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Sierra Leone and Ghana. GTV will also beam the tournament to its markets in the Middle East and Britain. Meanwhile, Ethiopia suffered a devastating exit from this year’s regional tournament after failing to secure maximum points for qualification. Ethiopia secured only point against Sudan in the group C last fixture which was played on Saturday in Arusha. It had lost its fixtures against Zanzibar 2-3 on Thursday. Ethiopia followed Djibouti and Somalia in the exit chamber. Eritrea is the only surviving team from the Horn of Africa.Ends

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Kilimanjaro Stars face ‘non-performers’ Sudan