SC Villa were held to a goalless draw by South Sudan’s El Merriekh Bentiu FC in the CECAFA Dar Port Kagame Cup 2024 Group C opener at the Azam Complex in Chamazi, Dar es Salaam on Tuesday evening.
The Jogoos, who were playing their first CECAFA game in 19 years, were captained by new leader David Owor and featured fresh signings Denis Kaka Omony and Najib Yiga.
Despite Villa’s strong lineup, which also featured Patrick Kakande and Ronald Ssekiganda, they weren’t able to create clear-cut chances resulting in a 0-0 stalemate.
In the same group, Rwanda Premier League champions APR FC secured a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Singida Black Stars FC.
Their Nigerian import Victor Chukwuemeka Mbaoma scored the only goal of the match in the 22nd minute, finishing a well-executed move past Singida goalkeeper Metacha Mnata.
The win places APR at the top of Group C with three points, while Villa and El Merriekh Bentiu FC each have one point.
Earlier in the day, Group A action saw Sudan’s Hay Al Wadi and Tanzania’s Coastal Union FC both collect maximum points with victories over JKU and Dekedaha FC, respectively.
The CECAFA Dar Port Kagame Cup 2024 continues today with Group B matches in which Sudan’s Al Hilal will face ASAS Djibouti Telecom, while Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC will take on Zambian Premier League champions Red Arrows FC.
SC Villa is set to return to action on Friday, July 12th, against Singida Black Stars before facing APR in a highly anticipated match on Monday, July 15th.
The Jogoos will aim to top their group or secure the best second-place position to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament.
