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Queen Cranes intensify preps for Mozambique
The U-20 women's national team - Queen Cranes - line up before a practice game. PHOTO/COURTSEY
What you need to know:
Both Uganda and Mozambique earned a bye in the first round. In the 2022 U-20 World Cup Qualifiers, Mozambique beat Eswatini 2-0 in the first round then fell 4-2 to South Africa. Uganda then beat SA 1-0 in the third round before falling 1-7 to eventual qualifiers Ghana.
It has been almost a full house for the Queen Cranes at Fufa Technical Centre, Njeru since Friday as they prepare for their second round encounter with Mozambique in the 2021 Fifa U-20 Women World Cup Qualifiers.
The Uganda youth squad reported to camp almost a fortnight ago could not have the full attention of their coach Ayub Khalifa as he was in a caretaker role for the senior team Crested Cranes, who were involved in an unsuccessful attempt to return to the Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon).
Crested Cranes had also taken the services of Catherine Nagadya and Margaret Kunihira while Shakirah Nyinagahirwa missed out due to an injury. Hadijah Nandago had also asked for time to concentrate on her final secondary school examinations.
However, as all returned last week, goalkeeper Daphine Nyayenga secured a move to B93 Copenhagen in Denmark. But as Fufa proved with Crested Cranes defender Aisha Nantongo after she had secured a move to Aalborg days to the Algeria encounter, they can bring back any player the coach deems indispensable. If Nyayenga cannot return, Sharon Kaidu is believed, by the technical bench, to have made tremendous improvement over the past two years and has recent tournament form after keeping goal for the U-18 national team at the Cecafa Championships in July in Tanzania.
Midfield options
With Nyinagahirwa and Nandago out of the senior team, Khalifa tried wingers Nagadya and Kunihira with noteworthy success in central midfield against Algeria as their workrate helped Uganda to a 1-1 draw.
“I believe that the senior team matches have given us the kind of confidence we need to boost the U-20 team,” Nagadya said on her return to Njeru from Oran late last week.
That experience should give Khalifa more confidence about the options in his midfield if he cannot get solutions from Wakiso Hills’ Patricia Nayiga, Kawempe’s; Kurusum Namutebi, Phionah Nabulime, Agnes Nabukenya, Halimah Kampi and Dorcus Kisakye, plus Rines’ Immaculate Odaru and Eva Nagayi (Rines) and Uganda Martyrs High School’s Kevin Nakacwa.
“We are still not moving the ball around with as much intensity as we like but we have had some friendlies where we have defended well and scored goals,” Khalifa said.
Both Uganda and Mozambique earned a bye in the first round. In the 2022 U-20 World Cup Qualifiers, Mozambique beat Eswatini 2-0 in the first round then fell 4-2 to South Africa. Uganda then beat SA 1-0 in the third round before falling 1-7 to eventual qualifiers Ghana.
Before that, Uganda had also earned a bye in the second round and then beaten Kenya 10-3 in the second round.
Fifa U-20 Women World Cup
Qualifiers – Second Round
October 7: Mozambique vs. Uganda, Matola
October 13: Uganda vs. Mozambique, FTC Njeru
