In a thrilling opening match of the Cecafa U18 boys’ tournament at Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu, a 10-man Rwanda team secured a flying start with a hard-fought 1-0 win against a resilient Somalia side.
Sibomana Bobo, representing Marines in the Rwanda Premier League, scored the decisive goal early in the second half. However, Rwanda faced adversity in the first half when goalkeeper Eric Byringiro was shown a red card for handling the ball outside the box.
Despite Somalia’s dominance in the second half, they were unable to convert their chances into goals, with Rwanda coach Kayiranga Baptiste admitting that the Somali youngsters displayed superior technical skills.
Baptiste acknowledged the impact of the red card on his team’s performance but praised their resilience in the second half. He emphasized closing spaces and avoiding a defensive approach, expressing satisfaction with the victory and looking ahead to the next game.
The coach also commended the Kenyan fans for their support, highlighting the perfect atmosphere and good condition of the playing field. However, he mentioned that his team had trained on an artificial turf for the tournament, which posed a disadvantage.
On the other side, Somali coach Omar Ahmed expressed disappointment over missed opportunities. Despite playing against 10 players, Ahmed believed his team should have secured a victory based on their chances created. He congratulated Rwanda on their hard-fought win and acknowledged that both teams had their fair share of scoring opportunities.
Ahmed shifted the team’s focus to the next game and expressed gratitude to the Kenyan Somalis who turned up in large numbers to support the team. He encouraged their continued support throughout the tournament.
In the upcoming matches, Rwanda will face hosts Kenya in their second game on Tuesday, while Somalia will battle against Sudan on the same day at Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium.
In Pool B matches scheduled for Sunday in Kakamega, Zanzibar will kick off the day with a match against South Sudan, followed by a clash between Tanzania and Uganda, promising further exciting encounters in the tournament.
