Uganda have no option but to attack Tanzania
What you need to know:
- Nagadya’s natural pace aids the pressing that Khalifan wants to see and she has got the heart to go into combat but while in possession, she loves to operate in space which sometimes is really limited in the middle of the park.
What do you do when confronting a rival yet your best defender and midfield anchor are nursing long-term injuries?
Uganda’s U-17 women’s coach Ayub Khalifan has been pondering with that question for over two weeks after Stella Musibika and Kevin Nakacwa were announced injured during Fufa Women Super League games for their respective clubs Kawempe Muslim and Uganda Martyrs High School – Lubaga.
Today, he must show he found the answers during preparations as Uganda meet Tanzania away in Dar-es-Salaam for the first leg of the first round in the Fifa Women U-17 World Cup qualifiers.
Tanzania have the advantage as they have beaten Uganda at senior level a couple of times and also ousted Uganda from the U-20 World Cup qualifiers last month.
Their only U-17 meeting ended in a draw during the Cecafa Women U-17 Cup in Njeru last December.
But both sides have a host of players representing both U-20 and U-17 sides so they know a lot about each other.
Khalifan will likely go for the kill as only his forward line is not affected by injury. They have freely created chances and scored goals despite the problems in defensive positions.
From their practice games, usual winger Catherine Nagadya looks to have won herself the defensive midfield role after falling out favour among attacking options when Khalifan started to trusting Hadijah Nandago more.
Nagadya’s natural pace aids the pressing that Khalifan wants to see and she has got the heart to go into combat but while in possession, she loves to operate in space which sometimes is really limited in the middle of the park.
At centre-back, marauding left-back Grace Aluka is likely to partner Bira Nadunga.
“We are struggling to build from the back and we are also letting the opponents get to our goal a lot but we are also easily creating chances,” Khalifan told Sunday Monitor before the team departed for Dar on Friday.
“I am confident that we can get the goals and that we can minimize our mistakes. The thing is we must go to the pitch with the mentality that we are there to get a positive result.”
TODAY IN DAR, 4PM
First Round –1st Leg Qualifiers (Africa)
Tanzania vs. Uganda
Probable Starting XI: Daphine Nyayenga; Samalie Nakacwa, Sumaya Komuntale, Grace Aluka, Bira Nadunga; Catherine Nagadya, Shakira Nyinagahirwa; Margaret Kunihira, Hadija Nandago, Fauzia Najjemba; Juliet Nalukenge (C)
mmuziransa@ug.nationmedia.com