Uganda U17 women’s team is optimistic about staging a dramatic comeback against Kenya’s Junior Starlets in the second leg of their World Cup qualifier.
The Teen Cranes suffered a 2-0 defeat in the first leg at Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo, with goals from Edinah Nasipwondi and Joan Ogola giving Kenya an advantage. Now, with the return leg set for March 16 at Nyayo Stadium, Uganda’s head coach, Sheryl Botes, believes her side can overturn the deficit and secure qualification.
Botes remains confident that her squad has the ability to rise to the occasion. Drawing inspiration from Uganda’s senior women’s team, the Crested Cranes, who overturned a similar two-goal deficit against Ethiopia in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, she sees hope for her young charges.
“We saw things in the second half that convinced us that we can do better in Nairobi. We now have to take the game to Kenya and try to win the tie,” Botes said, emphasizing the need for an aggressive approach in the return fixture.
Reflecting on the first-leg loss, Botes expressed satisfaction with how her players improved as the match progressed. She noted that if the team had played at the same level as in their previous match against Namibia, the result could have been much worse.
“I am proud of the girls and how they fought. If it was the team that played against Namibia, we would have been destroyed,” she said.
With the stakes high, Uganda will have to be clinical in front of goal and maintain defensive discipline to stand a chance of progressing. The winner of this tie is likely to face Cameroon in the final qualification round.
Cameroon demonstrated their attacking prowess in the first leg of their tie against Ethiopia, securing a dominant 5-2 victory. Their sharpness in front of goal put them in a strong position ahead of the second leg.
For Kenya’s Junior Starlets, history is within reach once again. The team made headlines last year by becoming the first Kenyan team, male or female, to play at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup. The experience gained at the tournament in the Dominican Republic, where they secured a 2-1 victory against Mexico in the group stage, will serve as motivation for them to push for a second consecutive qualification.
Mildred Cheche’s side will be aiming to build on their first-leg advantage and secure passage to the next round. However, Uganda’s determination to fight back makes the return leg a highly anticipated showdown.
With both teams having a lot to play for, fans can expect an intense battle in Nairobi as Uganda seeks to stage a comeback while Kenya aims to hold onto their lead and move a step closer to another historic World Cup appearance.
