TANZANIA Mainland and Zanzibar's Under-15 teams began their CECAFA campaign with wins in Sunday's matches against Somalia and Rwanda respectively. Both matches were held at the Fufa Technical Centre in Kampala, Uganda.
Zanzibar secured a 3-0 victory over Rwanda, showcasing a classy performance with an opener in the sixteenth minute by Mwinyi Hassan, followed by Mohammed Nassoro Salum's goal in the 84th minute and Laquman Othman's third goal in the 90th minute.
Mainland Tanzania won 1-0 against Somalia, with Peter Arbogasti's fine header completing Jaffari Mwanyemba's set piece in the 47th minute.
After Sunday's victories, Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania will share the top spot in Group B with three points each, however, Zanzibar has a superior goal difference. Somalia follows Mainland Tanzania, while Rwanda is at the bottom of the group.
The tournament includes eight teams divided into two groups of A and B. Group A comprises Uganda, Ethiopia, Djibouti and South Sudan. All games are held at the Fufa Technical Centre in Njeru, Kampala.
Uganda leads Group A with three points after beating Djibouti 15-0. Ethiopia and South Sudan are tied in second place with one point each after a 1-1 draw in Sunday's match.
After Sunday's victory, Mainland Tanzania will face Rwanda on Wednesday, while Zanzibar will play against Somalia on the same day. Both matches will be held at the Fufa Technical Centre in Njeru, Kampala.
As both national teams are placed in the same group, they will face each other on Saturday after Rwanda's match against Somalia.
The two top teams from each group will advance to the semifinals to be held today, before the tournament's climax on November 16th.