UNDER a severely flooded artificial pitch Eritrea pounced on a rare chance to score a 1-0 win over Kenya in the last match of the Cecafa Under-20 Championship at Asmara Stadium on Monday.Both teams had already qualified for the semi-finals and Eritrea topped the pool to go into a Wednesday clash with Rwanda while Kenya will take on Uganda on Thursday.

Tanzania beat Sudan 1-0 in an earlier match but both teams joined Somalia in going home early [Tuesday morning] after failing to garner enough points. Also going home were Yemen and Zanzibar from Group “B”.

Kenya, adjudged my many people as a stronger side technically, were completely unable to adjust to the horrible conditions, which some thought warranted postponement of the match. The ball simply could not roll through the "oceans" of water and the Kenyans were worse for it when they insisted on playing passing football. A competitive match in the early stages turned into a lottery farce.

But coach Vince Ombiji was not disturbed saying the defeat could be a blessing in disguise. "If Eritrea play well (against Rwanda) we shall beat them in the final," he told a post match Press conference. "You can only win a tournament like this by beating the hosts and defending champions. We possibly will face both and it is our plan to beat them in order to take the Cup,” he said.

Ombiji blamed his boys for not adopting properly to the pitch conditions. "They needed to kick the ball fiercely and over the top. That was the only way the ball was going to travel.” His Eritrean counterpart Negash Teklit said of his semi-final opponents Rwanda, who are fielding an entirely Under-17 side. "They will not necessarily be an easy meal. No one expected them to reach this far. Now that they have, they may turn out to be problem," he said.

Eritrea scored in the 58th minute when Meron Hebteslus converted a cross into the Kenyan box from the left flank. Heavy rains had been hitting the pitch by then for over quarter of an hour and conditions got worse. It was then a time for the heavy boot; to send the ball up front and the home team acquitted themselves better.

Kenya did not respond in the same way. They tried to pass the ball around as usual with astonishingly comical results. Each pass rested on the floods, a full 15 metres short of the distance intended. Said coach Ombiji: “There was nothing I could do after yelling myself hoarse; telling them that they needed to boot the ball and lift it into the opponents’ area. “They did not do that. For instance, captain Innocent Mutiso, out on the left flank was one of the worst culprits. He still thought he could carry the ball and it just could not work”.

It is the rainy season in Asmara and not even the local players are used to playing under such conditions, said coach Teklit. “We had to adjust and I am glad we scored this morale boosting win before we face Rwanda in the semi-finals on Wednesday, “ he said.

Ombiji’s team will play defending champions on Thursday. The superb Kenyan team, however, will have absolutely no advantage if the conditions at the semi-finals will be like last evening’s. But Ombiji said: “We shall meet and beat Eritrea in the final,” suggesting he was absolutely sure that Kenya will eliminate the strong Ugandans on Thursday.

In the better conditions of the first half yesterday, Jacob Keli (11th and 19th minutes) and Paul Were should have banked goals for Kenya while goalie Musa Hamisi Mohamed, of non-Kenya Premier League Congo United, was remarkably good between the posts after his shaky debut for his country in Saturday’s match with Tanzania in which he replaced injured Caleb Otieno Adola.

Mohammed could have received a man-of-the-match award after brilliant saves in the 12th and 30th minutes, and in the atrocious second half, he kept Kenya safe.

TEAMS:-

KENYA – 1. Musa Hamisi Mohammed (Congo United): 16. Cyrus Shitote (Sony Sugar), 12. Milton Milimo (AFC Leopards), 6. Anthony Akumu (Gor Mahia), 5. Musa Mohammed (Gor Mahia), 10. Victor Majid (Sony Sugar), 8. Paul Were (Tusker), 7. Edwin Mwaura (Posta Rangers), 4. Raphael Muigai (KCB/14. Moses Arita – Thika Unite, 70’), 9. Jacob Keli (Mathare United), 11. Innocent Mutiso, captain (Mathare United)

Reserves not used – 18. Caleb Otieno Adola (KCB), 17. Duncan Owiti (Gor Mahia), 13. Ali Mwijuma (United Sparki), 3. Elly Asieche Sekah (Bidco), 15. Abdimalik Mohammed (Gor Mahia)

Coach – Vince Ombiji

ERITREA – 1. Samuel Alazar Butsuamalik: 2. Abraham Tedros Abraha, 15. Filmon Tsegay Mehari, 8. Yohannes Nega Zeregaber, 5. Isaias Tekle Petros (18. Essay Kiflom, 88’), 6. Medhanie Reddie, 7. Idris Ismail Adem (9. Tesafalem Tekele, 50’), 11. Yohannes Tilahun, 4. Meron Hebteslus, 10. Kubrom Abdemariam (3. Merhawi Kesete Zeratsion, 83’), 13. Yonatan Solomon Melake

Scorer – 4. Meron Hebteslus (58’)

Coach – Negash Teklit

Referee – Mohamed El Fadir

Source: www.kpl.co.ke