In an international friendly match held at Le Mardi Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco, Uganda’s Crested Cranes battled to a thrilling 1-1 draw against the Moroccan national team.
Fauzia Najjemba‘s early penalty put Uganda ahead, but Elodie Nakkach‘s stunning equalizer ensured a share of the spoils.
Uganda took the lead early on, capitalizing on a handball inside the box in just the 8th minute. Fauzia Najjemba stepped up to take the penalty, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to give Uganda a crucial advantage.
Morocco responded swiftly, dominating possession but struggling to penetrate Uganda’s resolute defense. The Crested Cranes had a golden opportunity to double their lead through striker Viola Nambi, but she narrowly missed converting a cross.
Just before the break, Morocco earned a penalty of their own following a handball by defender Shakirah Nankwanga.
Morocco Captain Chebak stepped up to take the spot-kick, but her attempt was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Daisy Nakaziro, preserving Uganda’s lead.
In the second half, Uganda’s head coach Sheryl Botes made several substitutions to maintain control and potentially extend their lead.
However, Morocco struck back in the 64th minute, with Elodie Nakkach unleashing a stunning strike from outside the box to level the scores.
The equalizer galvanized Morocco, who pushed forward in search of a winner. In the dying minutes, they thought they had found it, but the assistant referee’s offside flag denied them victory.
Despite surrendering their advantage, Crested Cranes head coach Sheryl Botes applauded her team’s resilience against a formidable opponent.
“We only had six days of training, but I’m incredibly proud of the ladies for displaying their winning mentality against a top team like Morocco, who have participated in prestigious tournaments like the World Cup. We strive to play against top teams consistently,” Botes remarked.
Uganda will have another chance to claim victory against Morocco in their second encounter, scheduled for Tuesday, December 5th, 2023, at Stade Moulay El Hassan in Rabat.
Courtesy Photos
