Ethiopia hold Uganda to open old wounds
Standout performance. Hadijah Nandago celebrates one of her two goals against Ethiopia in the U-17 Women World Cup qualifier game at St. Marys Stadium, Kitende. Photo / John Batanude
What you need to know:
- Uganda, who were sloppy in possession had no chance of note in the first half. But captain Shakira Nyinagahirwa blazed a freekick at the edge of the box over the bar after the only attacking live wire Kamiyati Naigaga had been fouled by Meseret Mamo Wolde.
Hadijah Nandago came to life with two second half goals but her display was shadowed by two late efforts from Ethiopia as the visitors held Uganda to a 2-2 draw in their first leg of the first round of the Caf U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers at St. Mary’s Stadium - Kitende on Friday.
Uganda, who were sloppy in possession had no chance of note in the first half. But captain Shakira Nyinagahirwa blazed a freekick at the edge of the box over the bar after the only attacking live wire Kamiyati Naigaga had been fouled by Meseret Mamo Wolde.
Wolde had her own freekick in the 14th minute tipped over the bar by Ugandan goalkeeper Sharon Kaidu and there was a goal line clearance from the resulting corner.
Another sloppy clearance from Ugandan central defender Patience Nabulobi allowed Emush Daniel Dandamo to run through on goal but she hit the ball over the bar. The two later had a head-on-collision forcing Uganda into bringing in Esther Namusoke as the Nabulobi needed medical attention.
Second half
Uganda started the second half brightly as Catherine Nagadya blazed a freekick from distance over the bar while Naigaga also had an unsuccessful appeal for a penalty within 10 minutes.
In the 66th minute, as Nagadya and Wolde battled for an aerial ball, the latter’s poor touch knocked it into Nandago’s path for her to loop it over Ethiopian goalkeeper Abeba Ajibo Afa for the opener.
Nandago pounced on yet another poor clearance, this time from Afa, in the 72nd minute to slot into an empty net for her second.
But Uganda’s cushion was halved seven minutes later as Dandamo noticed Kaidu off her line and looped the ball into the far corner from the right side of the beach.
ALSO READ: 20-Goal starlets
Ethiopia then kept testing the Ugandan keeper from distance and it paid off in stoppage time when Semira Kedir Ahimed found the equalizer in almost the same position as Dandamo as Kaidu tried to hold a ball she should have punched away.
Old wounds
Ethiopia celebrated wildly while for Uganda, it was dejection as yet another team made life for itself difficult from a commanding position against the Ethiopians.
First, the senior team Crested Cranes beat Ethiopia 2-0 at home in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers then went on to lose by the same margin in Bahir Dar last October.
Both teams were then involved in a tie-breaking shootout but fortunately, Uganda sailed through 2-1 winners.
The U-20 team, also coached by Khalifa, was not as lucky last November as they went from leading 2-0 at halftime to losing 2-3 to Ethiopia in the decisive match of the Cecafa U-20 Women Championships at Fufa Technical Centre - Njeru.
DON'T MISS: Uganda have no option but to attack Tanzania
“I think Ethiopia were lucky today as they capitalized on two mistakes from the goalkeeper.
Maybe she was poorly positioned for their goals but I think we shall find a solution to this (Ethiopia late drama),” Khalifa said.
