CECAFA U18 semi-final pairing confirmed

The semi-final stage of the CECAFA U18 Championship is set to kick off on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Mamboleo.

The first semi-final clash will feature Uganda facing off against Rwanda at 11:00 a.m., followed by the second semi-final showdown between unbeaten Kenya U18 and Tanzania at 2:00 p.m., both matches taking place at the same venue.

CECAFA U18 final

The winners of the semi-final matches will advance to the final, while the losing semi-finalists will compete to determine the third-place finisher in the competition.

Uganda secured the top spot in Group B by defeating South Sudan 2-0 in Kisumu. Meanwhile, Tanzania drew 1-1 with Zanzibar in Kakamega but advanced based on the Fair Play criterion due to fewer accumulated cautions.

At Jomo Kenyatta Stadium, Uganda secured their place in the semis with second-half goals from Richard Okello and Denis Kisiriko.

In adherence to the competition rules (regulation 3.6), team rankings consider points, head-to-head performance, goal difference among concerned teams, goals scored, fair play, and, if necessary, a coin toss.

In the case of Tanzania and Zanzibar, both teams had 4 points, scored and conceded the same number of goals. The Fair Play criterion came into play, with Tanzania advancing with four cautions compared to Zanzibar’s five.

Kenya U18 in CECAFA

Kenya U18 dominated Pool A, guided by Coach Salim Babu, securing a perfect record of three wins, accumulating nine points.

The Junior Stars showcased an impressive blend of defensive and offensive prowess, netting ten goals in three matches. Their most commanding victory was a 5-0 triumph over Sudan, followed by a narrow 1-0 win against Rwanda and a 4-1 victory over Somalia.

Rwanda, with six points in the pool, won two matches and suffered one defeat to Kenya, scoring four goals and conceding only one.

Somalia earned three points, while Sudan failed to secure any points in the group stage.