Okwi, Bayo strike as Cranes extinguish Malawi Flames

Ecstatic. Cranes striker Fahad Bayo summersaults after scoring the team’s second goal against Malawi. Photo by Eddie Chicco

What you need to know:

  • Soccer. The Cranes goals came in either half from Emmanuel Okwi and Fahad Bayo to move joint top of Group B on four points with Burkina Faso after the two teams played out a goalless draw in Ouagadougou last was week.

The Uganda Cranes got their Afcon 2021 qualification campaign up and running with an assured 2-0 home win over Malawi at the Mandela National Stadium yesterday.

The Cranes goals came in either half from Emmanuel Okwi and Fahad Bayo to move joint top of Group B on four points with Burkina Faso after the two teams played out a goalless draw in Ouagadougou last was week.

The latter were also identical 2-0 away winners over South Sudan yesterday. Back at Namboole, both teams started on the front foot particularly the Cranes like coach Jonathan McKinstry who was taking charge of his first game at Namboole had predicted. Cranes were piling pressure on the right of attack with Okwi combining well with Kizito Luwagga and Nicholas Wadada.

The opening goal however came via a different route when Joseph Ochaya’s long ball found Okwi running in behind the Malawi defence.

The striker took the ball down with his first touch and showed tremendous composure to pick his spot with a thumping finish. The Cranes continued to make inroads via the right flank but failed to add a second goal with Wadada again twice linking up with Miya and Okwi only to be let down by his final deliveries.

With three minutes before half time, Miya ghosted past the opposition defence before rolling his effort off the post. The second half started in similar fashion with Bayo heading weakly at the opposition keeper while Khalid Aucho found Miya with a long ball. The attacker could however not sort his feet and the chance was wasted.

Another long ball found Kizito Luwagga who retrieved the ball into Miya’s path. He showed good awareness to find Okwi but this time the goalscorer failed to control. With the Cranes beginning to look like they would rue those missed opportunities, Bayo struck using his physicality well to disposes Lucky Malata.

Now through on goal, the Vipers striker produced an assured finish to justify McKinstry’s decision to start him ahead of Patrick Kaddu.

“When the chances came we took them. Okwi is an experienced campaigner. Bayo has been around a bit but when the chance came, a one on one, it can be difficult for a young striker but he took it well,” McKinstry said of the game.

The visitors who had started the campaign with a 1-0 win over South Sudan created little going forward with only Gabadinho Mhango seriously testing Captain Denis Onyango.

“Congratulations to Uganda. It was a tough game bit at this level when you make such mistakes you are punished,” Malawi coach Meck Mwase observed.

The qualifiers now take a long break with action resuming in August next year with Uganda hosting South Sudan. The top two nations from each of the 12 groups will qualify for the finals except that which involves hosts Cameroon.