Uganda go for jugular in Bahar Dar

Uganda’s chances to dominate the show in Bahar Dar will depend on Nyinagahirwa’s ability to pull the strings from middle of the park. PHOTO BY JOHN BATANUDDE

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  • Khalifan will also be keen to see his side defend as immaculately as they have done over the past six months especially after six of them were part of the side that lost 2-1 last weekend away to Tanzania in the U-20 World Cup qualifiers.

Ethiopia has never been a good hunting ground for Uganda’s female footballers.
The senior team – now Crested Cranes – has travelled to Addis Ababa twice and lost on both occasions; first on Ethiopia’s international debut in the 2002 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifiers and early last year in the first round of Africa’s Olympic qualifiers.

Fauzia Najjemba and Juliet Nalukenge, who are now the star attractions and lead scorers of coach Ayub Khalifan’s U-17 national team, were part of the latter team. And got a bit of revenge when Uganda beat Ethiopia 1-0 – courtesy of Najjemba’s goal – in last year’s Cecafa Challenge Cup in Tanzania.
The duo must now be eager to exert more revenge to keep the Fifa U-17 Women World Cup qualification process alive when Uganda take on Ethiopia in the second leg of the first round of Africa’s qualifiers on Sunday in Bahar Dar.

Uganda are cushioned with a two-goal aggregate score having beaten Ethiopia 2-0 in the first leg a fortnight ago at Star Times Stadium – Lugogo and Khalifan is keen on killing off the tie even though a draw would be enough for them to advance to the second round where they could play either Tanzania or Burundi.
Uganda played those two en route to winning the Cecafa U-17 Championship in Njeru months after winning the Cosafa one in Njeru. But the demand is to play better than they did at home in the first leg against Ethiopia.

Gilt-edged chances
Uganda were only dominant for the first five minutes prior to Nalukenge’s opener but were also guilty of not putting away chances in the first half albeit against the run of play.
“We could have won with a 5-0 goal margin in the first leg if we had converted our chances in the first leg especially in first half,” Khalifan reminisced.
“We have spent a better part of our training working on our attack and conversion of the chances created. I can assure you now the team is ready to get that win from Ethiopia.”

Khalifan will also be keen to see his side defend as immaculately as they have done over the past six months especially after six of them were part of the side that lost 2-1 last weekend away to Tanzania in the U-20 World Cup qualifiers.
His centre-back Stella Musibika was shifted to right back and was particularly targeted by the speedy Tanzanian forwards. Uganda do not have to worry about the pace of the Ethiopians down the flanks but they too love to possess the ball and will be keen on doing it even better in front of their own partisan crowd.