Uganda's Teen Cranes Hit Double Digits in Cecafa Opener

The Uganda U-17 women’s national football team, the Teen Cranes, launched their Cecafa U-17 Women Championship title defense with an emphatic 13-0 thrashing of Djibouti.

Goals rained down from various players, including Justine Ayerango (brace), Lydia Namaseruka (penalty), Immaculate Acen (brace), and Shadia Nabirye, who netted a hattrick. Further contributions came from Tracy Nabalanzi, Rashidah Nakalema, Vicky Atyeronimungu, and Brenda Nassaka, securing a comfortable win for Uganda.

The commanding performance sees the Teen Cranes top Group B, ahead of South Sudan who beat Zanzibar 1-0. However, the tournament’s timing has raised questions, as it follows the elimination of several Cecafa nations, including Uganda and Tanzania, from the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

Coach Sheryl Botes lamented the lack of competitive matches for her squad, suggesting that a regional tournament held before the World Cup qualifiers would be more beneficial. “These girls need competitions and hope this happens on a consistent basis then we can also start thinking of the best in this region playing the best in Cosafa,” Botes commented, emphasizing the importance of regular fixtures.

Despite the focus on the result, Botes highlighted the performance as a positive step, building towards a defined game model. “We struggled in Ethiopia because of the altitude but we managed to come back twice (to level the game),” she recalled, referencing a recent 3-3 draw against Ethiopia. “Our transitions are quicker, we had wing play, and we could find each other. This will give the girls confidence and hopefully that will still be there in the next game.”

Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/sports/soccer/teen-cranes-find-goals-as-cecafa-put-cart-before-horse-5497510