Sylvia Kabene left a Zambian defender for dead. PHOTOS/COURTESY
By Makhtum Muziransa
The Teen Cranes need the perfect home game but can take solace in their belief that their 2-0 loss away at the Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, Zambia was covered in controversy.
Uganda’s U-17 women’s football team have their work cut out ahead of Friday’s encounter with Zambia in the age group’s World Cup Qualifiers.
The Teen Cranes need the perfect home game but can take solace in their belief that their 2-0 loss away at the Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, Zambia was covered in controversy.
Uganda were caught out early in the second minute by a searching ball that was well controlled by Zambian forward Namute Chileshe, allowing to fend off Teen Cranes captain Desire Katisi Natoro and make it 1-0.
Esther Nangendo stretches to control the ball.
“We did not expect that (conceding early),” coach Sheryl Botes admitted in the post match press conference.
But the coach rightly believes they should have scored at least thrice before Zambian doubled their lead in the 70th minute.
Agnes Nabukenya hit the post in the 21st minute while she also forced some saves from the Zambian keeper Mwila Mufunte. They also had chances for Shadia Nabirye and Sylvia Kabene but those failed to trouble Mufunte.
Ugandan goalkeeper Lilian Nakiirya flies to save a high ball from a cross.
Kabene thought she had equalized in the 65th minute when a she took down Faridah Namirimu’s long ball, from a freekick taken deep inside Uganda’s half, bullied Zambian defender Nana Malanda out of the way and left an on-rushing Mufunte in no man’s land to slot home.
The referees actually awarded the goal but protests from the Zambian technical area led by coach Carol Kanyemba, claiming Malanda had been pushed by Kabene, saw the officials reconsider.
A Zambian defender tight marks Uganda’s Agnes Nabukenya in a throw-in situation.
“I hope Caf looks into this matter because the referee replayed the game using VAR. Surprisingly , the broadcaster did a replay during the game, they took the match back to the moment,” Botes said as she wondered why and how the referees changed their decision after watching a replay of the incident in a match that had no video assistant referee.
Uganda actually had another effort controversially ruled out for offside. Esther Nangendo fed Nabukenya between the lines and the latter slotted home but the assistant referee raised her flag.
Zambia went on to double their lead when Ruth Mukoma, unmarked in ‘acres of space’ in the box, took a well measured pass from captain Blessing Zangose Zulu to poke home.
2024 Women’s World Cup
Africa Qualifiers
Third Round
First Leg: Zambia 2-0 Uganda
Second Leg: May 17 at St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende
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