Sudan scored all the three goals within first half while Eritrea tried to get something out of the match in the second period, to no success

Eritrea’s poor starting form at Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup continued when they were thrashed 3-0 by a well oiled Sudan side at Machakos Stadium.

Sudan scored all the goals within the first half while Eritrea tried to get something out of the match in the second period, to no success. Salah Ibrahim scored a brace in the match with Tahir Mohammed scoring the other goal to gift the Sudanese three points and leadership of Group ‘C’.

Salah opened the scores early in the match after minutes of domination with a header from a freekick with the Eritrean defense nowhere near him. The striker then made it two with a superb left foot shot minutes later. The Eritrean defense was squarely to be blamed for the goal with Salah exchanging passes easily with his team mates.

Eritrea in their usual flamboyant but lazy passing game put up efforts to try and claw back at least a goal. The best chance of the game for them came in the 38th minute but Omar Osman failed to guide home a free-kick from Shidan Habty. Omar had been left alone inside the box but his tap went wide.

On the opposite end, they paid for their sins, Tahir Mohammed making it with a superb chip from almost 40 yards out. The Eritrea keeper had poorly attempted to lob the ball for a counter, but it never passed the half line, Tahir making the most of it.

In the second half, Eritrea pushed hard for a consolation, Samson Fitni missing a great chance, again alone in the box but misdirecting Sirakbeyeme Tsebaye’s freekick. Eritrea would have been given a penalty in 84minute after Samson Fitni had been brought down inside the box but referee Antony Juma Ogwayo would have none of that.