Livewire

Olivier Karekezi on target as his Swedish club Helsingborg IF qualified to the second round of the Uefa Cup championship after thrashing Drogheda 3-0 (4-1 on aggregate) last week.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Olivier Karekezi on target as his Swedish club Helsingborg IF qualified to the second round of the Uefa Cup championship after thrashing Drogheda 3-0 (4-1 on aggregate) last week.

Helsingborg who were playing their second leg at home (Olympia stadium) scored their goals from Swedish international Andreas Jakobsson, Norwegian striker, Razak Omotoyossi(68th) and Rwandan international midfielder, Olivier Karekezi.

The Amavubi Stars skipper came in as late substitute struck an injury time third header goal to grant the Sweden Cup contenders.

Helsingborg had settled on a 1-all draw away to Drogheda a fortnight ago.Helsingborg will play Heerenveen of Holland away in the first round of the Uefa Cup qualifiers due mid this month.

Karekezi’s has been in an on-form period since Helsingborg was held by Elfsborg to a goalless draw in their last league fixture played a fortnight ago.

Helsingborg’s draw left them on eighth position of the Allsvenskan league, level on 27 points with both Malmo FF and Hammarby IF respectively.

With seven league games left on the card, Helsingborg has slim chances of winning the Allsvenskan league title.

Karekezi’s side faces Djurgardens IF in the Allsvenskan league tonight at Olympia stadium.

Elfsborg IF stands on top of the league table with 33 points from nineteen league fixtures.Meanwhile, Karekezi has been named in the Amavubi Stars’ squad for Ghana2008 Nations’ Cup qualifier against Liberia this weekend.

Karekezi, who has scored two goals in the 2008 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, missed the last qualifier 1-2 loss against Cameroon.

In a related development, former Amavubi Stars’ skipper Hamad Ndikumana helped his Turkish club, Anorthosis to advance to the second of the Uefa Cup qualifiers after a 3-0 goal aggregates over Israel club Cluj.

Anorthosis demolished Cluj 3-0 in the first leg before playing a goalless draw in the second leg played last week. Ndikumana played both legs in central defense.

Anorthosis will play England’s Tottenham Hotspurs in the first leg of the second round of the Uefa Cup qualifiers mid this month.Ends