Crested Cranes enhance reputation at Cosafa Championship

KAMPALA. After Crested Cranes’ 2-0 semifinal loss to South Africa on Thursday, the latter’s defender and player of the match Kholasa Biyana, admitted the Ugandan side had worked hard enough for a better result.
But that is the reality of football, sometimes your best might not be good enough especially when you cannot put away the few chances that might be allowed by a women’s football continental force like South Africa.
What Crested Cranes are sure of is that they have enhanced their reputation as an emerging young force in African football.
“You can see why they were invited,” Swaziland coach Chrsitian Thwala, said when her side was dispatched 4-3 by Crested Cranes.
“They did well at Cecafa, they have kept together and they play like a unit,” she added after a game where Bulega could not use six of her players that had arrived in South Africa late after some visa delays.
The players’ ability to adjust to late tactical and team changes, which called for some to play out of position, was commendable. Uganda’s goals in that game were well worked with Hasifah Nassuna pressing the Eswatini defence for the first. All three forwards; Resty Nanziri, Zainah Namuleme and Norah Alupo then combined for the second and third. The fourth was a penalty converted by Nassuna after a good run by captain and midfielder Tracy Jones Akiror.
If Bulega was planning to rely on the set pieces that saw her finish second, behind back to back champions Tanzania, at Cecafa, then the combinations in that game gave her something to ponder about in terms of finding goals.
Actually, Uganda converted only once from a set piece, when Nassuna’s corner found Akiror to head home at the back post against Zimbabwe. But all other five goals were from neatly worked combinations.
Little wonder Nanziri, who provides presence in the box and also has the desired work-rate to suit Bulega’s hard running style of play kept her place throughout the tournament.
Suffice to note that Nanziri and attacking midfielder Shamirah Nalugya were nowhere near the squad during Cecafa and the Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) qualifier with Kenya in April.
Nanziri’s presence in the team also takes pressure off the usually favoured but young 15 year old Juliet Nalukenge, who managed to get her first goal for the country against Zimbabwe while earning her eighth cap.
Another revelation of this tournament was defender Aisha Namukisa, whose ability to recover quickly from mistakes made for a better pairing with Shadia Nankya at the expense of Bridget Nabisaalu.
Wingers Zainah Namuleme and Lillian Mutuuzo, like midfielder Phionah Nabbumba and left-back Grace Aluka, continued to impress from where they left off at Cecafa.
Such is Mutuuzo’s influence on the team that the attack looked sterile against South Africa after she was taken off due to injury.
Unfortunately, Riticia Nabbosa did not kick on getting restricted to just 84 minutes of football against Swaziland. Perhaps, her failure to be involved in club football for the larger part of last season haunted her.
But she can look at the performances of usual stalwarts Nassuna, Akiror, Viola Namuddu and indispensable goalkeeper Ruth Aturo for inspiration.