UK-based Ugandan defender Bethany Kaluya has arrived in the country ahead of the Queen Cranes’ FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Qualifier double header against Senegal.

Uganda will play the West African side twice in a space of eight days. The Queen Cranes will play Senegal in Dakar on Saturday, November 11, 2023 before the two teams face off a week later at the FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru.

The defender, who plays for the Brighton and Hove Albion Women U21 Team was in Uganda by Wednesday, November 9, just in time before the Queen Cranes left for Senegal.

However, Kaluya is not part of coach Ayub Khalifah’s 20 players who traveled to Senegal with the Queen Cranes. “She will be available for the return leg next week at Njeru,” FUFA confirmed.

The Ugandan delegation, headed by Agnes Mugena departed Entebbe International Airport on Thursday morning (2:45am) aboard Ethiopian Airways.

The team will have a stop over in Addis Ababa before connecting to Senegal where the game will be played.

The Queen Cranes eliminated Mozambique 8-0 on aggregate to reach this level.

There will be one more round after the second round to determine the four teams that will represent Africa at next year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia.