Dar es Salaam

Leading scorers
4 - Bokota Kamana ( Rwanda )
3 - Hamis Kitagenda ( Uganda )
2 - Sula Ndikumana ( Burundi )
Olivier Karekezi ( Rwanda )
Elmon Teamekibrowa (Eritrea)
Berhane Aregaye ( Eritrea )
Ronald Muganga ( Uganda )
Dan Wagaluka ( Uganda )
Allan Wanga ( Kenya )

When Uganda and Kenya clash on Tuesday, the form book will go out the window along with all the group stage results, as it always does.

The long-time rivals were the first to confirm a quarterfinal date here at the 31st edition of the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup, with all the other last eight match-ups not known until final group stage games in groups A and C late yesterday.

TOP DEFENDER: Andy Mwesigwa (right) is the Cecafa Challenge Cup’s outstanding defender. Photo by Eddie Chicco.

Kenya 's coach Jacob 'Ghost' Mulee is upbeat and unashamedly said: “Our mission is still on. We came here to reach the last four and we are on our way.”

Coming on the back of an undeserved defeat to Tanzania, an insipid loss to Burundi and a laboured victory over the Somalia, Mulee's words had a false bravado to them.

But Uganda , of all countries cannot afford to ignore or dismiss the warning form the man whose escapades n football earned him the creepy nickname Ghost, and the Cranes will know that they have fallen prey to the Harambee Stars once too often even long before Mulee was in charge.

Uganda has won the Challenge Cup a record nine times and Kenya come second in the regional trophy tally with five, and any time the two meet it is a clash of the heavyweights in every sense.

Many Ugandans still recall with bitterness The Cranes loss to the Harambee Stars in the 1982 final at Nakivubo Stadium when Mahmood Abbas penalty saving heroics stopped the Cranes.

It is a loss that has never been truly avenged as none of Uganda 's nine victories in finals before and after have had the Kenyans as victims.

There have been clashes at earlier stages in this tournament, but still the ones that stick out are the bitter losses like the 1991 semi-final when a star-studded Cranes outfit involving Magid Musisi, Umar Senoga, Robert Aloro, Steven Bogere, Jackson Mayanja and Sam Ssimbwa went down to Henry Motego, Mike Okoth and youngsters Tony Lwanga, Nyandoro and Alfayo Odongo.

The Cranes go into the game as favourites still, even if they have lost the experienced gloves of Hannington Kalyesubula who was sent off in the loss to Eritrea.

But the Ugandan goalie will be up against exciting striker Allan Wanga, who has just been sold to Petro Atletico in Angola , who has two goals in the tournament.

The Cranes have in their ranks the second highest scorer Hamis Kitagenda (3), tournament assists leader Dan Wagaluka (4) and dominant defender Andy Mwesigwa.