Uganda’s U-17 women’s national team, the Teen Cranes, showed resilience and character as they fought back twice to earn a 3-3 draw against Ethiopia in a friendly match on Thursday in Addis Ababa.
The match was Uganda’s final preparation ahead of the 2026 CECAFA U-17 Women’s Championship, which kicks off this weekend in Tanzania.
Ethiopia made a flying start, with Lidya Eaysu scoring in the first minute before adding a second goal seven minutes later to put the hosts firmly in control.
But the Teen Cranes responded well. Martha Babirye pulled one back before Joan Namakula levelled matters before halftime, completing an impressive comeback from two goals down.
The hosts regained the lead in the 65th minute through Mairhat Aeyel, forcing Uganda to chase the game once again.
Just when Ethiopia looked set for victory, Uganda struck back deep into stoppage time. Flavia Yagala found the net to secure a deserved draw and cap another spirited comeback from Sheryl Botes’ side.
The result gives the Teen Cranes confidence ahead of the CECAFA championship while also providing valuable lessons for the technical team.
Uganda now heads to Dar es Salaam as defending champions. The Teen Cranes, winners of the 2019 title under Ayub Khalifah, have been drawn in Group B alongside South Sudan, Djibouti and Zanzibar.
With the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals, Uganda will be hoping to carry their fighting spirit into the tournament as they begin the defence of their regional crown.
