Nairobi — Defending champions Sudan stormed to the final of the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup on Wednesday with a hard fought 2-1 win over Burundi at the National Stadium, Dar es Salaam.

Two typical deadly finishes from Saileldin Idris and, that man again, Abdelhamid Amarria, either half was enough to defeat a depleted Burundi side lacking several players out with Malaria including captain Ndukimana Seleiman.

Brave Intambaku Ugamba (Victors in Battle) pulled one goal back through Claude Nahimana in the first half but this was not to be their day of glory.

On Thursday, rivals Uganda and Rwanda meet for the second time, only that the stakes are higher; direct entry to the final.

The Cranes brushed aside Amavubi's challenge with a 2-0 thrashing in the group stages but will find Thursday's proposition different.

After losing to Uganda nine days ago, Rwanda went on to put nine past poor Djibouti in their last preliminary round match, a Cecafa record equalling statistic.

Rwanda then beat Zanzibar 5-4 on post-match penalties in the quarter-finals after dominating the barren drawn match in regulation time.

They were even denied a goal but ended up clearly a team on the ascent. Nine-time champions Uganda, in contrast, appears to have lost some steam after plundering nine goals in two matches without reply, 7-0 versus Djibouti and the victory against Rwanda.

They then lost 2-3 to Eritrea in their lost group action and appeared to have discarded their dangerous quick-flowing football with a subdued 1-1 draw against Kenya in the quarter-finals. Penalties got them to the semis.

"We lost concentration in our match against Uganda and conceded those two goals. But we have worked on our mistakes and I am sure the semi-final match will be a different one.

We never like losing to Uganda and they feel the same about us, so let us see what the final whistle will decide," Rwanda captain Kerekezi said.

Karekezi, the Helsinborg (Sweden) striker, has scored two goals and his experience in Europe, which includes a stint in Belgium, should be valuable as he leads the Rwanda attack.

Rwanda will also have Kamana Bogote, hat-trick hero in the Djibouti game and currently joint tournament top scorer with four goals.

Uganda lost 2-4 in post match penalties to Rwanda in the fight for third place at last year's tournament. The man who was handling them then, German Laszlo Csaba, is still in charge and will be eager to return the favour to the Rwandese.

Hamis Katagenda remains Uganda's pointman in attack. Top scorer in the Uganda league last season, the Kampala City Council striker started the tournament with a hat trick.