The Uganda U20 Women Football National Team, the Queen Cranes, will be in action this evening in the return leg of the U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Senegal at FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru.
Uganda, who lost 1-0 to Senegal in the first leg, will need a goal or more to stay in the contest and overturn the results.
Sokhna Pene‘s late first-half goal was enough to hand Senegal the first-leg advantage, and any draw for the visitors today will help them progress to the next stage.
Phiona Nabulime and Allen Nassazi, who missed the first leg due to Senior Six final exams, have been training with the team and are expected to feature this evening.
What the coach and captain said
Coach Ayub Khalifah believes that his girls will do the needful to progress to the next round.
“We have really worked hard to improve on our weaknesses and sharpen the strikers because we need many goals to ease the journey.”
“I’m pretty sure my team is going to defeat Senegal with a convincing goal margin to reach the next stage,” said a confident Khalifah.
Captain Hadijah Nandago is optimistic that the team will get the job done today.
“Our coaches have prepared us well, and we know that it’s going to be a tough encounter where we have to score two goals and not concede.”
“However, our target is to score many goals and overturn the results. I call upon all our dear fans to storm Njeru in a big number, and we promise to make them proud of their nation,” said an optimistic Nandago.
The winner on aggregate between Uganda and Senegal will face either Eswatini or Ghana in the next qualifying stage. Ghana defeated Eswatini 5-1 in the first leg.
Only four qualified teams from Africa will play at the finals of the 2024 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, to be hosted by Colombia from September 5 to 22, 2024.
Probable Lineup: Sharon Kaidu (GK), Harima Kanyago, Sharifah Nakimera, Desire Katiisi Natoro, Patricia Nakato Nanyanzi, Krusum Namutebi, Agnes Nabukenya, Kevin Nakacwa, Hadijah Nandago, Catherine Nagadya, Margaret Kunihira.
