TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A participant from Kenya in a marathon on Taiwan’s north coast tested positive for COVID-19, reports said Saturday (Nov. 20).

The athlete was one of 12 runners who had arrived from overseas on Oct. 29-30 to participate in Sunday’s (Nov. 21) New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon, the Liberty Times reported.

All arrivals had spent 14 days in quarantine followed by seven days of self-health monitoring. The Kenyan athlete’s third PCR test turned out positive, showing a Ct value of 32, according to the newspaper report. He had been transferred to a hospital for quarantine while the other 11 runners from overseas had also been isolated, making it impossible for them to compete in Sunday’s event.

During their stay in Taiwan so far, they had only been outside for training, and the running track would be disinfected again Saturday night, the authorities said. A total of 7,560 athletes registered for the marathon named after the north coast districts of Wanli, Jinshan and Shimen. - Matthew Strong, Taiwan News

Photo @UgandaCranes

Mali crowned their qualification to the play-off round of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with a 1-0 victory over Uganda Cranes in Agadir to finish unbeaten in Group E, dropping points in only one match.

Kalifa Coulibaly scored in the second consecutive match, striking the solitary goal in the 19th minute that handed them maximum points against the Uganda Cranes. Koulibaly had also scored in the 3-0 thrashing of Rwanda last week that earned them qualification.

Mohamed Magassouba’s men finished the group phase with 16 points from five wins and a draw, an away 0-0 result against Uganda.

Uganda Cranes have been effectively been eliminated from the FIFA Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifiers following a 1-1 draw with neighbours Kenya at St Mary's Stadium Kitende. Uganda's fate was sealed and stamped after a comfortable 3-0 Mali win against Rwanda in Kigali a few hours later. 

Uganda had to win both its two remaining matches against Kenya today and Mali on Sunday. But after 5 games, Mali tops group E on 13 points and advance to the next round while Uganda on 9 points, Kenya on 3 points, and Rwanda on 1 point have all been eliminated. 

According to the qualifying format, the team that finishes top of the group advances to the third round. In this round, ten teams that top all their respective groups will be drawn into five home-and-away ties. The winners of each fixture will advance to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

In the first opening minutes of the game played today, both Uganda and Kenya created a few scoring opportunities. However, in the middle of the match, both teams threatened each other's goal but Kenya created more chances. 

In the 20th minute, an effort by Kenya’s captain Michael Olunga was cleared by Cranes keeper Charles Lukwago before Joseph Okumu’s shot was also saved by Aziz Kayondo. Uganda also missed a chance when defender Bevis Mugabi’s effort went over the bar.

Uganda’s coach Micho Sredojević made two substitutes after halftime to boost the team’s creativity. He introduced Milton Karisa who replaced Steven Mukwala while Ibrahim Orit replaced defender Aziz Kayondo. Although Uganda looked keen to score, the opponents were the luckiest when in the 62nd minute, Olunga broke the deadlock with a free header off Kenneth Muguna’s free-kick.

Micho made two other substitutions in Yunus Sentamu and Okello as the hosts started the quest for an equalizer but the Kenyans were smart to deny Uganda a chance. In the 88th minute, Kenya’s goalkeeper Brian Okoth made a blunder that surrendered an equalizer to Uganda. Okoth lost possession to Crane’s Fahad Bayo who scored an equalizer.

Engin Fırat, the head coach Harambe Stars said his team had many chances to secure victory but failed to utilize them. Micho said that his side played well but they were denied by the opponents who played a defensive game. - URN/The Observer