Crested Cranes get one over DRC
What you need to know:
Crested Cranes coach Sheryl Botes wants to turn the page and make Uganda compete with the best on the continent and a win at Stade des Martyrs, in the first of two friendlies that are spread three days apart, is encouraging.
It was just a friendly but Uganda’s women football enthusiasts have all reasons to celebrate their national team’s 2-1 win over Democratic Republic of Congo away in Kinshasa on Sunday.
The last time Uganda had played away in DRC was in January 2012 and the Leopards won 4-0 in the preliminary round of the 2012 Women Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers to win the tie 5-1 on aggregate.
That defeat alongside similar ones in 2016 to Kenya, in a Kisumu friendly and in Cecafa at Fufa Technical Centre – Njeru, rank as Uganda’s heaviest defeats in international women’s football.
Crested Cranes coach Sheryl Botes wants to turn the page and make Uganda compete with the best on the continent and a win at Stade des Martyrs, in the first of two friendlies that are spread three days apart, is encouraging.
Confidence
Uganda were bold in building from the back and were rewarded for it in the 22nd minute. Leftback Jolly Kobusinge played the ball inside to centre back Phiona Nabulime who fed the ball into defensive midfielder Joan Nabirye.
With the Leopards lurking, Nabirye played the ball back to Shadia Nabirye who drove forward a few yards before realizing forward Fazila Ikwaput had been isolated in the last line of DRC’s defence with their right back BelangeVukulu.
Nabirye launched a diagonal forward, Ikwaput beat Vukulu to it and acrobatically guided it past onrushing DRC keeper Ruth Khonde for the opener that helped Uganda go into the break leading 1-0. Ikwaput would later in the second half be replaced by versatile debutant Angel Auki Kigongo.
Before the goal, Uganda had withstood waves of pressure from the hosts, especially Naomie Kaba-Kaba, who flashed a chance across goal in the 16th minute and flashed some more after Uganda’s goal.
“DRC had the physicality, speed on the wings and a compact midfield,” Botes said post match.
“But we had to find a way to maintain them and I am very happy to do that… People must understand we are in the rebuilding phase and the friendlies help us to experiment.
"We want to play a certain way offensively and defensively so we will not change (for the next match or matches). The girls have bought into the idea. We now try to build from the back more consistently. I know for fact, mistakes will happen but we will get better,” she added.
Errors
Indeed the mistakes are never far away as Zainah Nandede, playing her first match as a right back discovered. Again Kobusinge played infield to Nabirye, who passed to Nandede who had inverted into midfield. However, her pass back to Nabirye was slow and was intercepted by Kaba-Kaba who raced at Nabulime.
Unfortunately, Nabulime slipped as she shifted her weight thereby allowing Kaba-Kaba to feed Ruth Kipoyi, who shot past Uganda’s goalkeeper Ruth Aturo for the equalizer.
Youngster Sylvia Kabene, who had come on earlier for captain Viola Nambi, ensured Uganda did not stay behind for long and gave some reprieve to her defenders.
Kabene debut
Kabene’s chase for what seemed like a lost cause when DRC centre back Natacha Boyengwa lobbed the ball back to her keeper paid off in spectacular fashion. Khonde had barely got in contact with the ball when U-17 star Kabene toe-poked it home for her debut goal and what eventually became the winner.
Meanwhile, Nandede seemed to have been caught heavily on the ankle in additional time and needed to be replaced by Bridget Nabisaalu.
Friendlies
Sunday: DRC 1-2 Uganda
Wednesday: DRC vs. Uganda, 5pm
Debuts: Angel Auki Kigongo, Sylvia Kabene