Uganda’s 2016 CHAN journey has ended after it became the last country to be eliminated from the biennial continental tournament. Today was the final day of group matches in the ongoing Orange African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda and all the attention was on Group D composed of Zambia, Mali, Zimbabwe and Uganda.
Uganda’s 2016 CHAN journey has ended after it became the last country to be eliminated from the biennial continental tournament.
Today was the final day of group matches in the ongoing Orange African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda and all the attention was on Group D composed of Zambia, Mali, Zimbabwe and Uganda.
With Uganda and Mali bidding for the final quarterfinal slot, their fate was to be decided by many factors.
Uganda hoped pace-setters Zambia would beat Mali while they did the same to Zimbabwe, who had already been eliminated having lost their first two games.
Mali needed just a draw to guarantee a spot in the last eight, regardless of the result in the other Group D tie.
However, Uganda’s chances to progress diminished considerably when Zimbabwe’s Willian Manondo scored in the 48th minute at Umuganda Stadium in Rubavu District.
Uganda pressed for an equaliser but Zimbabwe goalkeeper Tatenda Marshal Mkuruva denied the East Africans a chance to go level.
Substitute Geoffrey Serunkuma, however, managed to finally get Uganda the equalizer in the 90th minute, in what was virtually the last kick of the game.
In the other game, Mali and Zambia played out a goal-less draw at Kigali Regional stadium in Nyamirambo, a result that took Mali’s points to five and Zambia’s to seven.
Zambia will face Guinea, who advanced at the expense of Nigeria after beating them 1-0 yesterday, while Mali have booked a date with Tunisia, the Group C leaders.
The other teams that are through to the knockout stages are hosts Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and DR Congo.