Teen Cranes Aim to Seal Victory Over Zimbabwe in U-17 Qualifier Return Leg

Uganda’s Teen Cranes are set to host Zimbabwe this Saturday at Fufa Stadium Kadiba for the second leg of their first-round tie in the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup African qualifiers. They secured a strong 2-0 win in the first leg on April 12 at Ngoni Stadium in Harare, thanks to early strikes from Immaculate Acen in the 11th minute and Lydia Nameseruka in the 15th.

Coach Sheryl Botes praised her team’s tactical approach and possession management post-match, but warned against complacency ahead of the return fixture. ‘It is not over yet and I expect a tough match,’ she said.

A dominant home performance could boost confidence for Botes, who is pursuing Uganda’s first-ever World Cup appearance for its women’s teams. She recently guided the U-20 Queen Cranes to the final qualification round, where they face Ghana in May.

Advancing past Zimbabwe would pit Uganda against the winner of the Namibia-Kenya tie—currently led 2-1 by Kenya—in the next round. Uganda seeks revenge after Kenya knocked them out last year, following earlier exits to Zambia in 2024 and Ethiopia in 2022.

Africa will qualify five teams, including hosts Morocco, for the tournament.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)