Two second half goals were enough to see Kenya’s Harambee Starlets beat Ethiopia 2-0 in their opening match at the on-going Cecafa Senior Women’s Challenge Cup in Tanzania. The Ethiopian team put up a good display in the first half at the Chamazi Stadium.

But Kenya’s team displayed a more composed approach and attacked the Ethiopian team in numbers.

Second half substitute Gentrix Shikangwa made it 1-0 for Kenya from the spot after 78 minutes after an Ethiopian defender fouled in the box. After 81 minutes Cynthia Shilwatso increased Kenya’s lead with a well taken left footed shot.

“It is good we have started the tournament with a win. But we need to learn to take our chances,” said Kenya’s coach David Ouma after the game.

The win takes Kenya top of Group B before Uganda Crested Cranes battle Djibouti in a second game of the day.

The regional tournament started on Saturday with Burundi humbling Zanzibar 5-0 and defending champions Tanzania whitewashing South Sudan 9-0.

National teams of South Sudan and Uganda have intensified preparations ahead of the 2019 Cecafa Senior Women’s Challenge Cup. The regional tournament to attract eight teams will take place November 14-23^rd at the Chamanzi Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The South Sudan women’s football team that will be making their first appearance in the regional tournament entered residential camp on Tuesday under head coach Moses Machar Akol.

“We are concentrating on players who performed well during the just concluded South Sudan Women’s Cup,” said Machar Akol.

The South Sudan team is grouped alongside hosts and defending champions Tanzania, Burundi and Zanzibar in Group A.

Uganda’s Crested Cranes have also reported to camp at the Fufa Technical Centre in Njeru were they have stepped up preparations.

The Kenyan Starlets are already in shape as they even face Zambia in a 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifier on Friday in Nairobi before the return leg next week and later travel to Tanzania for the Cecafa tournament.

Hosts Tanzania who still have a strong team embarked on training over two weeks ago as they are determined to retain the trophy after their U-20 team won the Cecafa Boys title last month in Uganda. The other teams Ethiopia, Djibouti, Burundi and Zanzibar are also preparing ahead of the tournament.

Group A: Tanzania, Burundi, Zanzibar, South Sudan

Group B: Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti

The 2019 Cecafa Senior Women’s Challenge Cup slated for November 14-23 will be played at the Chamanzi Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Nicholas Musonye, the Secretary General of the Council of East and Central African Football Associations (Cecafa) announced the development in a communication to members on Thursday.

He also released the fixtures of the tournament which will attract eight teams. Rwanda, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan will not take part in the tournament.

“We expect a very competitive event and such tournaments will continue to help the women footballers in region get more exposure at the international stage,” added Musonye.

Hosts and defending champions Tanzania have been placed in Group A along side South Sudan, Burundi and Zanzibar.  Group B has Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.

“The top two teams from each of the two groups will qualify for the semi finals,” revealed Musonye. The semi finals will be played on November 21^st, while the play-off for third place and final will be played on November 23^rd.

Group A: Tanzania, Burundi, Zanzibar, South Sudan

Group B: Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti

Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro Queens have retained the regional Cecafa Women’s Challenge Cup.

The Queens defeated Ethiopia 4-1 in their last round-robin match played on Friday at the Stade de Kigali in Rwanda to top the table from Uganda on goal difference.

“We have watched a very competitive tournament where the winner has been known on the last day,” Nicholas Musonye, the Secretary general of the Council for East and Central African Football Associations told BBC Sport.

“Our women have shown improvement and the onus remains on other member nations to prepare teams for women’s football,” he added.

The Queens, who finished with nine goals scored and four conceded, lost the opening match of the tournament to hosts Rwanda 1-0 before drawing 1-1 with Kenya’s Harambee Starlets.

They went on to defeat Uganda 4-1 and also humbled Ethiopia by the same margin.

“We are happy to be taking this trophy back home,” said Kilimanjaro Queens’ senior player Stumai Abdallah Athumani, who netted one of the goals in their last game.

Uganda finished second, just behind Tanzania, due to a poorer goal difference having scored six and conceded seven goals.

Ethiopia with six points came third, while Kenya – who beat hosts Rwanda in the last game 2-0 on Friday – settled for fourth place.

Rwanda ended bottom of the standings.

The tournament was partly funded by football’s world governing body, Fifa.