Twiga Stars clinch CECAFA title

DAR ES SALAAM: TWIGA Stars emerged champions of the CECAFA Women’s Senior Championship after a hard-fought 1-0 win against Kenya at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

The victory marked Tanzania’s third title in the competition’s history and capped off a remarkable unbeaten run throughout the tournament.

The only goal of the match came in the 52nd minute, following an unfortunate own goal by Kenya’s defender, Enez Mango.

The incident occurred when Clara Luvanga delivered a cross into the box, intended for a teammate. In an attempt to clear the ball, Enez misjudged her clearance, sending it past her own goalkeeper, who was caught off her line.

Twiga Stars controlled much of the game, dominating possession and pressing high to dispossess the Kenyan midfield.

Tanzania created several opportunities to increase their lead, but most of their efforts narrowly missed the target. Kenya, on the other hand, relied on a low block and quick counter-attacks, but struggled to break down Tanzania’s solid defensive line.

Kenya’s best chance came in the 84th minute when Martha Emedot unleashed a powerful long-range strike, but Tanzanian goalkeeper, Najiat Idrisa was well positioned to make a crucial save.

Moments later, Twiga Stars nearly doubled their lead when Luvanga found herself one-on-one with Kenya’s goalkeeper, who showed excellent footwork to deny her attempt.

The win was not only significant in terms of the title but also highlighted several individual achievements. Opa Clement secured the Golden Boot after scoring five goals in the five-nation tournament. Diana Lucas was named the Best Player of the Tournament for her outstanding performances throughout the competition.

Najiat Idrisa was awarded the Golden Glove for keeping four clean sheets, while Clara Luvanga was named Player of the Match in the final.

Twiga Stars finished the competition with an impeccable record – four wins, four clean sheets and no goals conceded. Kenya had also entered the final unbeaten but saw their strong run ended by a disciplined and determined Tanzanian side.