Sheryl Botes finally has a trophy to show for her work with Uganda’s women’s national teams after guiding the Teen Cranes to the CECAFA U17 Women’s Championship title.
Uganda successfully defended their crown with a convincing 3-0 victory over hosts Tanzania in Tuesday’s final at KMC Stadium. Goals from Justine Ayerango, Brenda Nassaka and Flavia Yagala sealed the win as the Teen Cranes completed a flawless campaign.
The Ugandans were the tournament’s standout side from start to finish. They opened with a stunning 13-0 win over Djibouti before beating Zanzibar 3-0 and South Sudan 4-0 in the group stage. A 3-0 semifinal victory over Kenya booked their place in the final, where they once again proved too strong for their opponents.
Botes’ side finished the championship with an astonishing 26 goals scored and none conceded, underlining their dominance across the competition. The triumph sees Uganda retain the regional title they last won in 2019 under coach Ayub Khalifah Kiyingi.
It is the South African tactician’s first trophy with any of Uganda’s women’s national teams, having previously won bronze medals with the Queens Cranes at the 2023 African Games and the Crested Cranes at the 2025 CECAFA Senior Women’s Championship.
