The Queen Cranes will face Namibia in their second encounter of the FIFA U-20 World Cup qualifiers tomorrow at FUFA Stadium Kadiba at 4pm. The Queens approach the match with a 3-0 advantage from the first leg, courtesy of goals from Sylvia Kabene, Barbara Anomo and Mary Kantono. The team held their final training session today in preparation for the game, after which Head Coach Sheryl Ulanda Botes addressed the media.
‘We have had our final training session, and the girls are well prepared. We want to correct the mistakes we made in the first game. The girls experienced a lot of panic and pressure, especially in the first half, but we have worked on that. We do not want individual brilliance when attacking; we want to do it as a team. Let us save individual brilliance for inside the box. We missed a lot of chances, and we do not want to repeat the same mistakes. We have had individual meetings with the players and spoken to them about what caused the pressure and panic in the game. We have a very good squad, and you will see the changes tomorrow in our second game.’
The coach also expressed her gratitude to the fans who turned up in large numbers, noting that their energy carried the girls through to the final whistle.
‘I am grateful to the fans who came in large numbers; their energy pushed the girls to the last minute. I am happy the girls had the support of the fans. It is amazing to see them cheering the players, calling out their names and showing love. It gives the players hope and motivation, knowing there is someone supporting them. Let this support continue tomorrow. They need to come and watch the girls who will one day feed into the senior national team.’
Assistant captain Agnes Nabukenya emphasised that the job is not yet done.
‘Scoring three goals in our first game does not give us the audacity to relax tomorrow. They are still a strong team, and in football anything can happen. We have worked on our mistakes, especially those from the first half, and we still need more goals tomorrow. The team is in good shape, and everyone is willing to give their best. We call upon our fans to support us the same way they did in our first game, and we promise to give them the best.’
The Queen Cranes will face the winner between Zambia and Burundi on aggregate in the next stage. Zambia hold the advantage following their 2-1 win over Burundi in the first leg.
Last training
