Kampala — Juma Sadam, Criszestom Ntambi and Brian Majwega will need to pass late fitness tests ahead of the Uganda Hippos' CECAFA U-20 championship semi-final match against Kenya in Asmara, Eritrea today.

But Ivan Bukenya and goalkeepers Godwin Buule and Ali Kimera are all available for selection today after recovering. Sadam suffered a right ankle injury during their 3-2 win over Zanzibar. The player scored in this game just like Ntambi while Majwega and Isaac Muleme are down with diarrhoea.

But the players' fitness does not seem to bother coach Frank 'Video' Anyau more than the cold and rainy weather pattern. Temperatures can reduce to 15.5% centigrade in Asmara. "My worry is the rain that lasts up to six hours and the socked turf. It will affect the boys' speed," Anyau remarked yesterday. "Otherwise, we have watched Kenya twice before and I have a solution for them."

But his fears could be eased as the weather forecast indicates that temperatures in Asmara are expected to rise up to 21% centigrade today. Hippos go into the semi-final with an unbeaten run from the group stages where they played three games. They have scored nine goals and conceded seven while the Kenyans have found the net 11 times and let in four. Kenya lost their last group game 1-0 to Eritrea. The winner of the event whose final is due on Sunday will earn sh22.5m, the runners-up sh11.2m and the third-placed sh6.7m.

CECAFA U-20 Championship

Semifinals

Eritrea v Rwanda

Today

Uganda v Kenya