Musonye blasts age cheating in Cecafa U-15 tourney

Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) secretary general Nicholas Musonye with Eritrea Sports Commissioner Zemede Tecle at his office in Asmara on August 19, 2019. PHOTO | DAVID KWALIMWA |

What you need to know:

  • Kevin Wanganya was the standout player during Kenya's game against Sudan
  • Musonye has bemoaned reports of age-cheating at this age-group competition and urged national football chiefs to work harder and stem this vice
  • In the opening match, Andreas Odhiambo, James Gachago and Andrew Waliaula were on the scoresheet as Kenya strolled past Somalia 3-0

Kenya maintained her 100 percent record at the ongoing Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) Under-15 Championship after Sunday's 4-0 triumph over Sudan in Eritrea.

But in a related development, Cecafa secretary general Nicholas Musonye has bemoaned reports of age-cheating at this age-group competition and urged national football chiefs to work harder and stem this vice. 

He's also praised the role of football in uniting Eritrea and Ethiopia after the well documented political challenges between these two countries in the past decade.

Kevin Wanganya was the standout player during Kenya's game against Sudan. 

He scored twice - in the 12th and 24th minutes - before Joseph Munala netted a third. Gil Harel completed this rout in favour of team Kenya.

In the opening match, Andreas Odhiambo, James Gachago and Andrew Waliaula were on the scoresheet as Kenya strolled past Somalia 3-0. 

Kenya's next group assignment is against Burundi on Tuesday afternoon.

Musonye said he's received age-cheating related complaints from 'virtually' all participating teams at the tourney.

"We have received complaints. Surprisingly and unfortunately, virtually all the 10 participating countries are complaining. I'm telling them that this is their idiocy. We agreed in Dar-es-Salaam that federations should be responsible and have the moral obligation to do the right thing which is not to forge age through colluding with their relevant government organs," he said.

On how the political situation has improved in Eritrea, Musonye said: "I was happy when Eritreans and Ethiopians mingled together freely during the opening ceremony of this event. When Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea President Isaias Afwerki brokered peace last year, it was the best thing that ever happened in the Horn of Africa. I'm thinking of doing something in Addis (Ababa) so that these two brotherly countries can share a platform."

Selected results

Tanzania 0-2 Uganda

Burundi 2-1 Somalia

Rwanda 3-0 South Sudan 

Uganda 3-0 Ethiopia