Uganda U-17 girls take commanding lead in World Cup qualifier

Jan 12, 2020

The victorious side over the two legs shall lock horns with either Tanzania or Burundi in the next round.

U-17 FIFA Women World Cup 2020 qualifiers

First leg

Preliminary round

Uganda 2 Ethiopia 0

Uganda will take a commanding lead into the second leg of the U-17 FIFA Women World Cup Qualifiers after registering a 2-0 victory over Ethiopia on Saturday in Kampala.

The female charges of Coach Ayub Khalifah didn't perform to fans' expectations given the strong winning margins the team has been registering in the past competitions.

And this causes some bit of worry ahead of the second leg scheduled for January 26th in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia despite the loss looked good in possession and it's defenders were well disciplined as they kept Uganda's flying forward captain Juliet Nalukenge and Fuzia Najjemba at bay.

But Nalukenge had in the 5th minute slipped through to head in Fauzia Najjemba's cross in the fifth minute. But despite the goal, the visitors reorganized and took charge of the game and pressed for an equaliser but Uganda's goalkeeper Daphne Nyayenga was equal to all challenges from the Ethiopian attackers.

 gandas argaret unihira center takes on thiopias eeti ewdu eft and ana ailu right during a orld up qualifier at the tarimes stadium anuary 11 2020 ganda won 20 Uganda's Margaret Kunihira (center) takes on Ethiopia's Beeti Zewdu (Left) and Hana Hailu (right) during a World Cup qualifier at the StarTimes stadium, January 11, 2020. Uganda won 2-0.

 


Uganda continued to struggle to break through the compact Ethiopian midfield and had to wait for an 87th error from goalkeeper Foziya Zenabu that gifted substitute Catherine Nagadya to double the lead.

Coach Ayub Khalifah admitted that despite taking a 2-0 lead in the second leg, he said his team will face a  stiff challenge in the second leg.

"We played a strong side in Ethiopia and in the second leg we must be harder than we have looked today,"

"The girls need to understand that we are playing a strong side," he stated after the game.

He also expressed his worry over the fatigue that awaits these girls because of the U-20 FIFA Women World Qualifiers against Tanzania next weekend.

Part of the U-17 players is also in the U-20 squad which has worried the gaffer.

"These girls used a lot of energy today against a strong side. It is therefore reasonable they get enough rest.

 agaddya scores gandas second soon after coming on Nagaddya scored Uganda's second soon after coming on.

 


"But with some now going to switch to the U-20 camp, I feel this lack of rest will affect our preparations for the return leg," he decried.

The victorious side over the two legs shall lock horns with either Tanzania or Burundi in the next round.

A total of 16 teams from six confederations will in November 2-21camp in India for the 7th edition championship.

Spain is the defending champion having defeated Mexico 2-1 in the final last year

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