Harambee Stars striker Elvis Rupia started for Singida Big Stars as they went 0-1 down to APR of Rwanda in their opening game of the CECAFA Kagame Cup.
Nigerian import Victor Chukwuemeka Mbaoma netted the only goal after 22 minutes. The former Enyimba FC striker made no mistake finishing off a good move past Singida Black Stars goalkeeper Metacha Mnata.
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In an earlier Group C match Uganda Premier League champions SC Villa settled for a goalless draw against South Sudan’s El Merriekh Bentiu FC. APR FC now tops Group C with three points, while El Merriekh FC and SC Villa are second with a point each.
In other earlier games staged at the KMKM Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Sudan’s Hay Al Wadi and Coastal Union FC (Tanzania) collected maximum points after registering wins.
Mwedna Ramadhan scored the lone goal as Coastal Union beat Dekedaha FC 1-0 with Jabril Mohamed being the hero for Hay Wadi’s in their 1-0 win over JKU SC (Zanzibar).
Action continues on Wednesday with two Group B matches on the card. Sudan’s Al Hilal will take on ASAS Djibouti Telecom, while Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) battle Zambian Premier League champions Red Arrows FC.
The top team in each of the three groups and the best runners-up from any of the groups will automatically qualify for the semi-final stage.