CECAFA U-20 Zonal Qualifiers: South Sudan To Face Host And Defending Champions In Semi Final

The South Sudan U-20 National team (The Bright Starlets) will face host and depending champions Tanzania U-20 in the semi-finals of the 2020 AFCON U-20 qualifiers (CECAFA Zone) at the Black Rhino Academy in Karatu, Tanzania, with the match kicking off at 3:30 PM.

This will be the first of the double header lined up on the day, in the semi-finals.

The team under coach Simon James Yor made it for the first time in the history of this competition after walloping Burundi U-20 by 4 goals to Zero, goals from William Gama Emmanuel, Khemis Atari Tobs, an own goal from Japhet Ntunzwenimana and late cool goal from Philip Angelo Taban sealed the heavy win for the South Sudan U-20. 

Data Elly Bida Ezra and Loki Emmanuel Peter both missed the trip to Tanzania due to the pandemic and are currently isolating at their hotel in Juba. 

The 4-0 humiliation of Burundi on Friday afternoon made South Sudan U-20 as the best losers team in group B, which consisted of Uganda and Burundi and South Sudan. 

Uganda Hippos led group B with 4 points and a difference of 5 goals, one better than South Sudan who ended on the same number of points with the Hippos 

The tournament reigning champions and hosts Tanzania won both their group A matches and led with the maximum 6 points.

Tanzania beat two horn of Africa nations, Djibouti and Somalia, 6-1 and 8-1 respectively. 

In group C, Kenya won their two group games against Ethiopia and Sudan to top the group and will take on Uganda 

Tanzania led group A, Uganda (B) and Kenya championed C. with South Sudan qualifying as the best second placed country.

Meanwhile the eliminated Countries are Djibouti, Somalia, Burundi, Ethiopia and Sudan and are all expected to return to the respective home countries.

The semi-final clashes will be played on Monday, 30th November 2020 with the respective winners qualifying for the finals.

The two finalists will thus make the grade for the AFCON U-20 finals that will be staged in Mauritania come 2021.

The South Sudan U-20 team on Sunday 29th November 2020, morning left Arusha for Karatu in a journey that will take them 2 hrs and 30 minutes to reach the semi final venue, Black Rhino Academy. Both group B and C teams were earlier hosted in Arusha while the group A teams were hosted in Karatu. 

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