Charles Nyende
9 July 2009
Nairobi — Kenya's Mathare United play Burundi's Atraco at the El Merreikh Stadium from 8pm Friday in the second semi-final of the Cecafa Club Championship.TP Mazembe met El Merreikh in the first semi-final on thursday night.
This will be the second time in the tournament that Mathare and Atraco are meeting. The Kenyan champions edged out Atraco 2-1 when the two played in a Group "A" match 10 days ago.
But the circumstances now are as different as cheese is to chalk. Friday's encounter is a knock out bringing with it the pressure of knowing a loss will automatically send you home.
The teams went through their quarterfinals in contrasting style. Atraco, quite comfortably in the end, demolished a highly rated Kampala City Council 4-0 while Mathare needed post match penalties to dispatch Tusker 3-2 after the all-Kenyan tussle had ended dead even 1-1 in a hard fought 90 minutes.
Explosive matchWhile Mathare coach Francis Kimanzi is appearing in his first regional club championship Atraco coach Sam Timbe has already won two titles, in 2005 with SC Villa and 2006 with Uganda Police.
Atraco recovered from a 6-1 mauling at the hands of El Merreikh to advance to this stage.
"My players are now playing as a team. We are attacking together and defending together and if we are well prepared we can reach the final," Timbe said. "Atraco know our weaknesses and strengths, we know theirs. So, I expect a very explosive match," Kimanzi said.
Timbe, a former Uganda Cranes goalkeeper, can look to Uganda international Hamissi Kitagenda, who has bagged three goals so far, to lead his attack supported by countrymate Johnson Bongoole.
Kimanzi has shuffled his front line throughout the tournament, starting Chrispin Ochieng and Paul Ambembo, in the first match. He then tried the combination of Chrispine Ochieng with Vincent Okello and then Joseph Nyaga.
Mathare's defence, revolving around Edgar Ochieng, Lloyd Wahome and Anthony Kimani has been their strong point letting in just three goals in four matches..
Kimanzi, despite his limited firepower has employed shrewd tactics to get results.
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