Mumias — Harambee Stars put up a sterling performance to beat Ethiopia 2-0 in their final Group A match to enter the quarter-finals of the Orange Cecefa Senior Challenge Cup at the Nyayo Stadium on Saturday.

Goals from John Baraza and Allan Wanga sealed the three points for the dominant Stars.

In Mumias, what was expected to be a walk in the park for Uganda in their final Orange Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup group "C" tie against Zanzibar turned out to be cracker with the islanders refusing to lie down.

Eventually, the defending champions settled for a 0-0 draw, but managed to top the group on seven points, with Tanzania finishing second on six. Zanzibar have four, while Burundi finished without a point.

Seleiman Kassim thought he had profited with a close-range volley a minute from time, only for Godfrey Wahab to deny him. Uganda's head coach, Bobby Williamson might grumble, although Zanzibar was just about worthy of a point.

"We enjoyed our match and we now look forward to our quarterfinal match on Monday. We don't fear any team and after this point, we need to play three more matches (quarterfinal-final)," said Williamson.

Not that it will save Zanzibar from a few harsh words from head coach, who must have been disappointed with a poor first-half display, in which Seleiman Kassim wasted a dozen of chances in five minutes.

Defensive midfielder

Uganda were a shadow of the energetic team that had caused such a stir after victories over Tanzania and Burundi on this ground as it lacked momentum and ideas.

That is taking nothing away from the defending champions, who could not have started the game more disastrously as Zanzibar seemed set to add the scalp of its local rival to its list of conquests so far.

Williamson opted to move Godfrey Walusimbi into a defensive midfield role from the start of the match, allowing Simon Maasa to start on the right hand side of defence.

Abdula Seif forced Wahab into one decent save and Abdul Mohud did not react fast enough when Wazir Salum nudged a header into his path.

But there was a paucity of chances for the Islanders that did not sit easily with the growing feeling they will be involved in the title shake-up.

Point to prove

In contrast, Uganda, limited as it was, always gave the impression of a side pushing itself to the limit. In Peter Seyyonjo it had an obvious danger man and he brought an excellent save out of Mohamed Abdula with a dipping 25-metre strike.

Still, a goalless opening period was drawing to a seemingly inevitable conclusion when Emma Okwi, set up by the industrious Mike Serumanga, went for the far corner with an angled drive.

Initially, Wahab turned aside a rasping right-foot drive from 18 metres from Sadik Habib in the ninth minute.

From the ensuing corner, whipped into the far post by the Ugandan goalkeeper, skipper Abdi Kassim was denied by Wahab's reactions as he blocked on the line the midfielder's point-blank shot.

The Islanders nearly had the ideal start, a through ball had midfielder Sadik Habib one on one with Wahab but he was only able to manage a fumbled shot along the ground.

Habib was playing like a man with point to prove.

Early on he put a dangerous cross through the middle of the box which was unlucky not to find an oncoming attacker. He came within inches of scoring the game's first goal after he toyed with Joseph Owino on the left side of the box.