In a prelude to their upcoming FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, the Uganda U17 Women’s National Team, fondly known as Teen Cranes, secured a solid 2-1 victory over Kampala Queens FC in a friendly match held on Monday afternoon at MTN Omondi Stadium Lugogo.
The match saw Kampala Queens taking an early lead as Shamirah Nalugya confidently converted a penalty in the first half, putting the Teen Cranes on the back foot momentarily. However, the youthful resilience of the national team shone through in the later stages of the game.
Gift Nabukenya, displaying a knack for seizing crucial moments, pulled the Teen Cranes level with a well-taken goal. The momentum shifted further in Teen Cranes’ favor when Kampala Queens inadvertently contributed to the scoreline with an own goal from Asia Nakibuuka, ultimately sealing the victory for the national side.
Head coach Sheryl Botes expressed her satisfaction with the performance of her squad, emphasizing the positive strides made by the players as they prepare for the high-stakes qualifiers against Zambia.
“Am very proud of the girls, they’ve done extremely well. Even though we won today, it doesn’t matter. To me it’s only about the performance of the players in relation to the Key components we’ve been working on for the past three days.”
The friendly encounter provided valuable insights and opportunities for the Teen Cranes to fine-tune their strategies and build team cohesion ahead of the first leg of the qualifiers scheduled for May 12th at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka after which the return leg will take place on May 17th 2024, at St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.
