Ingavi stars as Junior Stars whip Sudan in CECAFA under 18 opener

Luis Ingavi starred as The Harambee Stars Under 18 side hammered their counterparts from Sudan 5-0 to start their CECAFA Under 18 tournament on a high note in the opening Group A match staged at Kisumu Mambo Leo Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Salim Babu charges did even better after outplaying their opponents with Ingavi who is attached to Montverde Academy in Orlando got the game underway with a seventh-minute flying header converting from a Collins Ochieng cross from the left flank.

Rainbow’s hot shot Tyron Kariuki added a second for Kenya in the 29th minute latching on St. Anthony’s Boys Joseph Omuse’s cross before turning in the defenders and unleashing a low shot to the left bottom corner beating Sudan custodian Ahmed Alkhder.

Spain-based Aldrine Kibet made it 3-0 for Kenya in the 33rd minute picking Manzur Suleiman's ball at the heart of the park before he wiggled past the Sudan defenders and fired to the right bottom corner of the hapless Sudanese goalkeeper to the delight of hundreds of fans that had braved the rainy weather in Kisumu to cheer on the Junior Stars.

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Ingavi grabbed his brace just before the breather as he converted Kariuki’s cross to hand Kenya a deserved 4-0 lead heading into the break.

Upon the restart, there was little to write home, however, Migori Youth’s Elly Owande who had been a threat throughout the game, grabbed a late goal converting from Nairobi United’s Adrian Oloo’s pinpoint cross to cap the Kenyan dominant show in Kisumu.

Kenya's next assignment will be against Rwanda on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, in Kisumu before a final group match against Somalia on 1 December 2023.

In another Group A match played on Saturday, Rwanda left it late to sink Somalia 1-0 in a match played at the same venue.

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Kenya now leads Pool A with three points tied with Rwanda, however, boost of a superior goal difference while Somalia settles third with Sudan sitting at rock bottom with zero points.

The Championship will continue on Sunday with Group B which is based in Kakamega seeing Zanzibar open against South Sudan while Tanzania battles Uganda in the second match.

The semifinals will take place on December 5th. All the semi-final matches and the final will be played in Kisumu.

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