The Uganda U-20 Women’s National Team, the Queen Cranes, saw their dream of qualifying for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup come to an end on Saturday following a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Ghana in the return leg of the final qualification round at FUFA Stadium, Kadiba.
Uganda exited the qualifiers 3-2 on aggregate after a tense and fiercely contested encounter between the two sides.
Backed by a passionate home crowd, the Queen Cranes made a bright start and took the lead in the seventh minute through Sylvia Kabene, whose early strike levelled the aggregate score at 2-2 and lifted belief inside the stadium.
The hosts continued to press forward with determination and discipline against a resilient Ghanaian side, creating pressure as they searched for the goal that would send them through.
Uganda gained further advantage in the 69th minute when Ghana’s Margaret Agyapong was sent off, forcing the visitors to play the remainder of the match with ten players while the aggregate score remained level.
However, Ghana found the decisive response in the 78th minute through Linda Owusu, whose equaliser restored the visitors’ aggregate advantage and ultimately secured qualification.
Despite the result, the Queen Cranes bowed out with heads held high after an inspiring qualification campaign that demonstrated the continued growth and promise of women’s football in Uganda.
