Kenya’s Junior Stars lost the final of the CECAFA U18 championship by falling 2-1 to Uganda at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Mamboleo, Kisumu on Friday, December 8, 2023.

It was a warm afternoon at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Mamboleo, Kisumu, the stage set for the final of the 2023 CECAFA U18 championship pitting Kenya’s Junior Stars against Uganda.

The stadium was filled to the brim well before the kickoff, as fans thronged the venue in pursuit of the joy they have long been starved of by the senior teams.

The fans, drawn from across East Africa, first enjoyed the third-place play-off, in which Tanzania won bronze by beating Rwanda 3-1.

The final was an end-to-end game, with both sides attacking in pursuit of regional glory, but it was not until the second half that the ball found its way inside the net.

MOFA FC forward Syphas Owuor, who scored Kenya’s winning penalty in the semifinal against Tanzania on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, gave Junior Stars the lead by blasting in the opener in the 67th minute.

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The stadium burst into celebration, Kenyan fans in dreamland as only minutes kept them away from being declared regional champions.

The party was, however, short-lived as Uganda equalized in the 78th minute after Abasi Kyeyune pounced on a loose ball in the box and blasted it into Ibrahim Wanzala’s net. The stadium went into total silence.

The game played to a 1-1 draw in regulation time, and Rwandan referee Rurisa Fidele ordered 30 minutes of extra time in search of the winner.

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Just 50 seconds into extra time, the Junior Stars’ defense suffered another moment of lapse after a low cross was swung into the box, with Hakim Mutebi pouncing on the ball to give Uganda the lead for the first time on the afternoon.

That proved to be the decisive goal as Uganda ultimately won the final 2-1 taking home the gong.