Uganda wins record 13th Cecafa title

Final Uganda 2-1 KenyaThird place playoffZanzibar 1-1 Tanzania (Pen 6-5)Hosts and defending champions Uganda beat neighbours Kenya 2-1 in the final to win the 2012 CECAFA Tuskar Senoir Challnge Cup played yesterday at Nelson Mandela National stadium.Robert Sentongo and Goeffrey Kizito scored for the Uganda Cranes, while Edwin Lavatsa Jumba netted Harambee Stars consolation. Chasing a record 13th regional title, the Cranes took the lead through Sentongo, when his low cross cum shot was deflected into the net by Kenyan defender Joackins Otieno Atudo in the 27th minute.Kenya, despite going down, continued to press, putting the hosts under some considerable pressure in the second half, and on the balance of play, deservedly found the equaliser when Jumba scored from close range in the 86th minute.The equalising goal gave the Harambee Stars, who have won the tournament four times, a glimmer of hope and as it looked as though the game was destined to go into extra time, Kizito rose highest to nod home Hassan Wasswa’s free kick to make it 2-1 with a minute of normal time left.It was the midfielder’s third of the tournament but the most important of his short Cranes career because it won a record extending regional title for his country. The match was dubbed the biggest East African derby in the annual regional tournament. Kenya’s Harambee Stars were the first to qualify for the final after defeating Zanzibar 6 - 4 on penalties on Thursday, while Uganda beat Amavubi Stars conquerors Tanzania 3-0 in the other semi final.Over the last ten years Uganda and Kenya have met 8 times with Uganda winning 5 games while Kenya once and have drawn twice.This year’s final was a repeat of the 2008 final when Uganda beat their archrivals 1-0 at the same venue, but as recent as 2011, Kenya held Uganda 0-0 to deny the hosts a chance to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, which was co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.Cranes striker Brian Omwony was voted the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and his teammate Hamza Muwonge was best goalkeeper. Sentongo finished as joint top scorer with Tanzania’s Mrisho Ngasa and John Bosco on five goals each.On top of the trophy, Uganda also took home US$30,000, while Kenya walked away with US$20,000 and Zanzibar, who beat neighbours Tanzania in the third place playoff, took US$10,000 courtesy of title sponsors Tusker beer.