By James Robert Kayindi
Kenya’s champions Gor Mahia FC and the defending champions Vital’O from Burundi have suffered an early exit from this year’s Kagame cup that is ongoing in Rwanda. The title favorites were both knocked out on the same day as the CECAFA Kagame cup progresses to the quarter final stage of the tournament.
Bobby Williamson’s side Gor Mahia were held to a 2-2 draw in the group B tie by Rwandan side APR FC who needed just a point to confirm their place in the last eight while Vital’O of Burundi were also held to a 1-1 draw by Sudan’s El Merriekh in group C game.
APR FC took the lead after 22 minutes of the game through Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza who picked up a loose ball from Gor Mahia goalie Jerim Onyango who failed to handle Emery Bayisenge’s header. Trailing by a goal down, Bobby Williamson was forced to bring Ugandan striker ‘Mzee’ Daniel Sserunkuma who surprisingly started on the bench in favour of Eric Ochieng. After 30 minutes of play in the second half, Sserunkuma won a free kick at the center half arc inside APR FC which was taken by David Owino and Geoffrey ‘Baba’ Kizito netted off the rebound to earn Bobby’s boys an equalizer. They however were denied the lead in the final minutes of the games as Godfrey Walusimbi gave Gor Mahia some hope to head into the last eight through a well taken free kick in the 87th minute but was denied by Tanzanian referee Israel Mujuni who disallowed a genuine Daniel Sserunkuma after he pounced on a loose ball from goalie Olivier Kwizera.
The draw meant that Gor Mahia FC joined Djibouti’s Telecom as the two teams face exit in group B putting APR top of the table with 7 points and just one ahead of KCCA FC who are seated second of the group B log. The already qualified APR takes on Uganda’s KCCA FC on Sunday in their final tie of the group to see who walks out of the group at the top spot.
Elsewhere in group C, Vital’O needed a victory to finish second in the group that was already topped by Police FC no wonder they took the lead through danger man Laudit Mavugo in the first half. Mavugo netted in the 34th minute to give the defending champions a lead after the El Merriekh back line failed to clear the ball from danger before he slotted it past Jamal Salim in goal. They however lost their narrow lead to the Sudanese giants who had a better second half display and equalized through Malien Mohammed Traore.
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