The Kenya national amputee football team secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Uganda on Wednesday at Intwari Stadium in Bujumbura, Burundi, in the ongoing Confederation of East and Central Africa Amputee Football (CECAAF) Championships.
The Kenyan squad, coached by former Gor Mahia FC players Francis Ocholla and Wycliffe Opondo, approached the match as a must-win battle, and delivered emphatically.
Kenya took the lead in the 21st minute through Mohammed Munga, who plays professionally for Depsas Energy FC in the Turkey Amputee Super League.
Just two minutes later, his club and national teammate Albert Mwakenga doubled the lead in the 23rd minute. Captain Nicholas Keiyo, who also features for Depsas Energy FC, sealed the victory with a third goal in the 33rd minute.
Veteran defender Brian Oroka came close to adding a fourth in the 43rd minute, but missed a penalty awarded after Munga was fouled in the box by a Ugandan defender.
With the win, Kenya earns a well-deserved rest on Thursday before facing Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the runners-up of Group A, in Friday’s semifinal.
The match is another critical test for Ocholla and Opondo’s team, now just one step away from the finals and their ultimate goal: lifting the CECAAF championship trophy.
