The Uganda women’s national team, the Crested Cranes, has made a strong comeback in the ongoing CECAFA Senior Women’s Championship in Tanzania.
After suffering a 1-0 loss to Burundi in their opening match, the team rebounded with a resounding 5-0 victory over South Sudan in their second game.
The match, played on Sunday evening at the Azam Complex, saw Uganda dominate the proceedings, with all five goals scored in the first half.
Sylvia Kabene netted a stunning hat-trick, while Shamirah Nalugya and Zainah Namuleme also found the back of the net. Kabene’s impressive performance earned her the Woman of the Match award.
According to Crested Cranes head coach Sheryl Botes, the win was crucial to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. “Today’s win was really important for us to stay in the tournament,” Botes said.
“We knew we had to score many goals, so we changed the formation by bringing in two strikers to reduce pressure on the midfield.
We had analyzed South Sudan’s game against Tanzania and noticed their defensive line sits high and leaves space behind, so we planned to exploit that.”
Kabene attributed her hat-trick to the teamwork and support of her fellow players.
“I thank the Almighty for this win,” she said.
“I managed to score three goals and was named Woman of the Match.
I appreciate my teammates for their teamwork and my coach for giving me the opportunity to play today.
All I want is to make myself proud and make Busoga proud by scoring more goals for the Crested Cranes.”
The Crested Cranes’ starting lineup against South Sudan consisted of Lillian Nakiirya (GK), Jolly Kobusingye, Desire Katisi Natooro, Zainah Namuleme, Margaret Kunihira, Jovia Nakagolo, Shamirah Nalugya, Docus Lwalisa, Jamilah Nabulime, Sylvia Kabene, and Zainah Nandede.
