omalia and Djibouti settled for a goalless draw as the 2019 Council for East and Central African Football Association (CECAFA) Senior Challenge Cup kicked off here on Saturday.
Somalia had a good chance by Yonis Abdirizak Farh early in the first half, though his effort was blocked for a corner.
Djibouti’s Ahmed Youssouf also hit the post twice in the first half.
The two teams continued to create scoring chances in the second half, but were let down by the wet surface as the rain continued.
Djibouti head coach Julie Mette said he was happy with the way his players reacted, but added that scoring goals remains a big problem.
“We are happy to be in this tournament because it will give us more exposure ahead of the group stage of the 2021 FIFA World Cup qualifiers,” added Mette.
Somalia coach Bashir Hayford was also happy with the attitude of his players.
“We are happy to start with a draw and will continue to work hard ahead of our next Group A game against Uganda,” added the coach.
The tournament, which has attracted nine teams, will finish on December 19.
SOURCE: XINHUA
