Teen Cranes have it all to do in Yaounde

Uganda must confront a hostile environment in Yaounde as they battle for a place in the penultimate qualification round of the 2024 Fifa U-17 Women’s World Cup against Cameroon.

The Teen Cranes drew 1-1 with Cameroon at an almost empty St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende last weekend and must win at Stade de Ngoa-Ekelle to progress as Friday’s hosts also have the better away goal advantage going into the match.

Physical presence was the main weapon of the Cameroonians when they visited Kitende but like the senior national team Crested Cranes found out after beating the Lionesses 2-0 at home in the Olympic Qualifiers last October, Uganda should expect that and more Friday.

The hosts will know that keeping possession will help starve Uganda of any chances and the home crowd will definitely rally the young Lionesses as they did for the senior who overturned that aforementioned deficit with a 3-0 home win.

Reading into the result, Uganda’s coach Sheryl Botes said after their match in Kitende last Saturday that “we have shown that we can cope with physicality but maybe we need to move the ball faster (in the away game) to displace them,”. It means, she would also have needed to get her midfield of Esther Nangendo, Bushira Nalunkuma and Agnes Nabukenya quicker in the last five days.

Dilemma

Easier said than done but the bigger dilemma is even that Nabukenya looks to be the most potent scorer of goals in the team and might need to be fielded upfront for more than the 10 minutes she got as a striker in Kitende if Uganda is to stand a chance.

Uganda also tried to bypass Cameroon's high press with long balls but the towering forward Shafiga Tamisi was not aggressive enough to win them. Nabukenya is and has the ingenuity to bring the impressive wingers Shadia Nabirye and Sylivia Kabene into play. But if fielded forward, who can bring Nabukenya's energy in midfield?

Expectation

Also the weight of expectation of the home team could play a factor. Uganda should not expect any kind of comfort especially when in possession.

“This is Cameroon and we are expected to qualify,” their coach Alain Djeumfa said unequivocally in his very short post-match press conference in Kitende.

Uganda's Probable Starting XI: Lillian Nakiirya; Desire Katisi Natooro (C), Bethany Kaluya, Joyce Kainza, Faridah Namirimu; Agnes Nabukenya, Bushira Nalunkuma, Esther Nangendo; Shadia Nabirye, Sylivia Kabene, Shafiga Tamisi