Uganda Senior Women’s National Team needed to come from a goal down to overcome Tanzania as the two teams faced off in a friendly game played on Friday at MTN-Omondi Stadium, Lugogo.
Oppa Clement had given the visitors inside the opening two minutes.
However, a spirited performance saw Catherine Nagadya level matters before the break while Fauzia Najjemba and substitute Margret Kunihira got the match winning goals in the closing four minutes.
Uganda was returning to active football after a year in limbo. The last time the Crested Cranes played any active game before today was on 8th July 2022 against Burkina Faso at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Despite starting the better side, it was Tanzania that got the breakthrough just two minutes after kickoff.
Poor communication exposed the back line and despite efforts by goalkeeper Ruth Aturo to parry the ball away, Clement reacted quickest to node the balk into the back of the net.
Uganda kept its composure and dominated proceedings but the goals were hard to come by.
Najjemba, Shakirah Nyinagahirwa and Sandra Nabwetem all got close but failed to score.
There was a penalty shout for Uganda in the 23rd minute when Najjemba was seemingly brought down in the area but the referee waived for play on.
The equalizer arrived a minute after the hour mark with Nagadya finishing from close range after a telling cross from Najjemba who had beaten Tanzania’s captain Fatuma Issa for pace on the left wing.
At the start of the second half, coach Ayub Khalifa called for changes bringing on goalkeeper Daisy Nakaziro for Aturo.
Hadijah Nandago replaced Nagadya while Kunihira and Fazila Ikwaput came on later in places of Hasifah Nassuna and Nabweteme respectively.
With four minutes on the clock, Najjemba fired Uganda into the lead,capitalizing on a howler by goalkeeper Husnat Ubamba.
A long cross from Samalie Nakacwa was headed for goal and in a bid to parry the ball over, Ubamba instead pushed it onto the cross bar only for it to land into the path of Najjemba who was waiting.
With Tanzania at sixes and sevens, Uganda put the game beyond reach through Kunihira whose intended cross went straight into the back of the net to send the fans into celebrations.
Uganda used the friendly game as part of preparations for the forthcoming Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Qualifiers.
The Crested Cranes will host Rwanda on 12th July at Kigali Pele Stadium before a return leg six days later.
The winner on aggregate will take on Cameroon at the next qualification round.
The team will fly to Rwanda on Saturday morning.
Crested Cranes Starting XI
Ruth Aturo, Samalie Nakacwa, Sumaya Komuntale, Shadia Nankya, Aisha Nantongo, Shamirah Nalugya, Shakirah Nyinagahirwa, Hasifah Nassuna, Sandra Nabweteme, Fauzia Najjemba, Catherine Nagadya
