A 87th minute goal from Murtaba Travis handed Uganda a 1-0 win over Tanzania in the first leg of their 2023 Africa Nations Championship qualifier at Benjamin Makapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Uganda made the most of home advantage to steal victory three minutes to the end of the game which will give them the upper hand in the second leg.
It was an extremely tight affair with very few chances on goal, largely due to some good defensive work by both teams.
Both teams, though, were also guilty wasting guilt edged chances in front of goal and that is something both will be working on for the second leg.
Tanzania started the brighter of the two teams and fashioned the first chance on goal in the fifth minute when Kibu Dennis got onto the end of a right-wing cross from Jonas Mkunde, but he touched it wide from a couple of yards out.
Chances after that were few and far between with the next effort on goal only coming in the 20th minute when Uganda’shot Martin Kizza from the edge of the box was well-saved by the keeper.
Five minutes later Siraje Ssentamu flashed an effort inches wide of the post from roughly 18-yards out.
On the half hour mark George Mpole fired a 22-yard free-kick disappointingly wide of the target.
Mpole had another long range effort on goal shortly before the break, but his direction was poor once again as his shot sailed wide.
The half ended 0-0.
Tanzania started positively again after the break when Feisal Salum broke down the flank in the 50th minute, but his cross was headed over the target by Gavin Kizito.
The play was at the other end a minute later when Salum once again tested the fingertips Nafian Alionz but the keeper was up to the challenge.
The next decent shot on goal only came in the 70th minute courtesy of Dickson Jon, but his effort was brilliantly touched around the post by Nafian.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 87th minute with a Mutyaba Travis goal, after connecting from a Moses Waiswa pass.
