Cecafa U17 Championship: Kenya set to leave for Rwanda as Uganda name squad

Kenya U17 are set to leave for Rwanda on Tuesday ahead of the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) U17 Championship.

The Oliver Page-led charges are targeting a top-two finish in the annual competition to seal their place in the U17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). The team has been training for the competition hoping to topple the competitors and win the competition.

Kenya are pooled with rivals Uganda and Ethiopia in Group B while hosts Rwanda are in Group A alongside Eritrea and South Sudan. Group C has Sudan, Djibouti and Tanzania.

Meanwhile, defending champions Uganda have named their squad for the competition. 

Coach Hamuza Lutalo opted to go for a 20-man squad hoping to successfully defend their title.

Among those in the team is Express FC duo Mwebe Henry and Humphrey Oyirwoth. 

Defenders Ibrahim Juma (KCCA FC), Enock Luyima (Volf), Simon Mukisa (KCCA), Peter Gava (Express FC) are also on the team.

Uganda and Kenya will be aiming to renew their rivalry after the U20 teams met in the semi-finals a couple of days ago.

The Hippos managed to get a 3-1 win over the Stanley Okumbi-led Rising Stars.

It took Uganda 22 minutes to open the scoring against their neighbours. A good move ended up with the ball on Kenneth Semakula who managed to beat the goalkeeper from close range.

Three minutes later, it was 2-0; Kenya were aiming at an instant reply and were caught in a counter-attack. Ivan Bogere managed to keep his cool and double the advantage.

Uganda, deservedly, went into the break with a 2-0 advantage as the Kenyans got a chance to strategize and come back stronger.

Even after the break, it was the Hippos who looked likely to get another goal.

It became worse for the Okumbi-coached team when the Rising Stars conceded a penalty in the 63rd minute, and Bogere stepped up to complete his brace and make the score 3-0.

With 10 minutes to go, Kenya pulled a goal back courtesy of Enock Wanyama, but it was too little too late.

The U17 competition starts on Saturday, December 12.

Goalkeepers: Mwebe Henry (Express FC), Magada Abdu (Busoga United), Oyirwoth Humphrey (Express FC)

Defenders: Vincent Mulema (Kyetume FC), Ibrahim Juma (KCCA FC), Enock Luyima (Volf), Simon Mukisa (KCCA), Peter Gava (Express FC), Madoi Ronald (Wakiso Giants)

Midfielders: Ivan Irinimbabazi (Bright Stars FC), Kaliisa Shugai (Express FC), Travis Mutyaba (Vipers SC), Eddy Elvis Mwanje (KCCA), Samir Mudiba (Express FC)

Forwards: Oscar Mawa (KCCA), Issa Bugembe (Bright Stars), Jumbe Fahad (Vipers SC)Basil Tenywa Tuma (Eton College, UK)