Sunday, November 17
*Uganda 13-0 Djibouti
Uganda’s senior women team, the Crested Cranes, turned on the beast mode to obliterate debutants Djibouti, scoring 13 goals and get off the mark in the 2019 CECAFA Women Championship in Tanzania.
A quintet from Juliet Nalukenge, a hat-trick from both Nassuna Hasifah and Fazilah Ikwaput plus a goal each from Nababi Amina and Najjemba Fauziah completed Uganda’s rout.
Nalukenge scored as early as the second minute to set the tone for the unforgiving Cranes who led 7-0 at the break.
Ikwaput scored five minutes into the second half as the girls started from where they had stopped.
Midfielder Nabbosa Leticia paved way for Shamillah Nalujja in the 72 minute who almost scored with her first touch on target.
Namuleme Zainah and Najjemba Fauziah also paved way for Amina Nababbi and Kunihira Margret respectively – Nababi did not disappoint when she tapped in her first goal in national team colours from a corner before Nassuna crowned the day with a penalty, his second goal from the spot, to make it 13-0 for Faridah Bulega’s side.
Talking after the game, the gaffer canceled out complacency and talked about how she looks forward to correcting the CECAFA 2018 mistakes where Uganda came second.
“We lost the trophy last year because we didn’t score goals and Tanzania did so, I want to continue to improve on that because this game would have ended 25-0 but we failed to convert goal chances,” said coach Bulega.
Nalukenge walked away with the match ball having scored an hat-trick first. She was recently the top scorer in the just concluded COSAFA U17 tournament with 18 goals.
An overwhelmed Nalukenge thinks the tournament can be another opportunity to contend for the forth coming FUFA woman football player of the year.
“I thank God and my fellow players for this performance today,” she started. “We need to win more games. Am happy for my consistency from Cosafa, now cecafa ,and I know it can help me compete for the awards in December.”
In the earlier game played game, Kenya beat Ethiopia 2-0 with goals scored by Janet Bundi and Jentrix Shikangwa.
Group B games resume Tuesday with Kenya facing Djibouti before Uganda take on Ethiopia.
