Friday, December 3
*Uganda Vs South Africa – 4pm
(Women U20 World Cup Qualifiers)
Uganda U-20 Women’s National Team Coach Ayub Khalifan Kiyingi says that they are targeting to win the first leg at St Mary’s Kitende against South Africa in the African U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
Khalifa, in a press conference at FUFA House in Mengo, also expressed the readiness of his side ahead of Friday’s duel.
The Qualifiers, are pathways for the FIFA U20 Women World Cup set to be held in August 10-28 in Costa Rica.
“As a coach and my players we expect nothing other than a win,” said coach Khalifa.
“I am pretty sure we are ready and I know we are going to win the game. We are at home and we have done enough preparations.
“Everyone wants to win from home. We want to win with a good margin so that we take a good cushion in the second leg. Target is that we do not want to concede from home.”
Khalifa is banking on Uganda’s win against South Africa in 2019 during the COSAFA U17 Championship where a goal each from Juliet Nalukenge and Fauziah Najjemba handed Uganda a 2-1 then.
He added: “We have ever played South Africa before, that was in the 2019 Costa U20 Championship and we won that game.
“We have rewatched that video and analysed tha game on assumptions that they have elevated that U17 team to their U20 side. Its hard to find a full game about South Africa like on YouTube so our only knowledge about them is that game we played back in 2019.”
Uganda return in action for the first time since finishing second at the CECAFA Women U20 Championship in Njeru behind Ethiopia.
Coach Khalifa says that they have rectified on the errors that saw them fail to lift the trophy on home soil.
The Kawempe Muslim tactician said: “We picked some positives from our CECAFA U20 campaign though I don’t want to go back and look at the past. But we have worked so hard on the problems and mistakes. A lot was picked and we have worked on errors.”
Uganda beat Kenya 10-3 on aggregate to advance to the third round and will be seeking to pick one of the two tickets available for the African team to the Women U20 World Cup next year.
The second leg against South Africa will be played on December 17.
If Uganda negotiates past South Africa over two legs, they will meet winner between Zambia and Ghana at the fourth round.
Then at the fifth round, Uganda will face winner of Tanzania/Burundi Vs Botswana/Ethiopia for a ticket to Costa Rica.
