Uganda Hippos U20 men’s team has secured a win over Ethiopia in their quest to defend their title of the AFCON U20 CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers.
The Hippos kicked off their title defense in style, defeating Ethiopia 3-0 at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Monday, October 7, 2024.
Midfielder Godfrey Sekibengo opened the scoring in the 24th minute after a poor clearance from an Ethiopian defender. After just two, Ethiopia equalized, but their goal was ruled out for offside.
In the 39th minute, the Hippos doubled their lead before halftime when Swabiri Mpasa found the net, giving Uganda a comfortable 2-0 lead at the break.
In the second half, substitute John Innocent Kisolo sealed the win in the 90th minute with a powerful long-range strike.
The head coach, Mathias Lule, expressed satisfaction with the outcome but acknowledged that his squad could have played better.
“I am delighted that we got off to a good start, winning 3-0, but I believe we can improve how we play and control certain situations,” Lule said.
The Hippos will be playing against Burundi on Wednesday. Earlier, Burundi defeated South Sudan 1-0.
Notably, the two qualifying spots for the U20 AFCON final competition are only obtained by the finalists.