Rwanda join Sudan in Cecafa finals

DAR ES SALAAM, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda on Thursday nipped Uganda 1-0 to advance into the grand finale of the 2007 Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) soccer tournament.

Rwanda scored the lone winner in the dying minutes of extra time after the regulation play ended in a goalless draw against nine-time champions Uganda.

The 1999 Cecafa titlists are to meet the Sudan in Saturday's finals. The Sudan won the 1980 Cecafa tournament.

The Sudanese squad, that was consisted mostly of the country's second stringers as their best players are preparing at home for the African Cup of Nations finals, booked their final berth by defeating Burundi in Wednesday's other semi-finals.

Striker Abdelhamid Amarria scored one goal and assisted for the other to seal off the Sudanese 2-1 win over Burundi.

The Sudan is the only country from the east and central African region to have qualified for the 2008 African Cup of Nations finals to be held in January next year in Accra of Ghana.

The annual Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup tourney is sponsored by Ethiopia's billionaire Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi.