Uganda U17 Women’s National Team coach, Sheryl Botes, is already focusing on the second round of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, where her team will face Kenya.
The Teen Cranes, who are seeking to qualify for their first-ever FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, demonstrated their attacking prowess by demolishing Namibia 18-1 on aggregate in the first round at the Hamz Stadium in Uganda last week.
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While the dominant performance was a clear statement of intent, Botes acknowledged that the next challenge would be much tougher, with Kenya standing in their way.
“Kenya has already been to the World Cup. They’ve gained so much experience, something we’ve never had. Just being there has made them stronger,” Botes said. “From the video footage we’ve seen, they are powerful in attack. We need to find the right players who can compete against them. It’s not going to be easy, and we’re already preparing for the pressure that will come with facing such a strong opponent.”
Uganda’s triumph over Namibia saw Botes experiment with her lineup, making five changes to the starting team in the second leg.
“We planned to give the players who didn’t feature in the first leg a chance to play. You could see the younger players and it’s the only way to understand where they stand. It became clear that there was a gap between the starting players and the new ones. The intensity dropped a bit, but this was crucial for us to gauge who can handle the competition,” Botes explained.
With the upcoming encounter against Kenya now firmly on her mind, Botes is keen to find the right balance for her squad.
“We’re focused on Kenya now. Our goal is to identify the players who are ready to compete at that level and see who can handle the pressure that comes with such a crucial match,” she concluded.
As Uganda gears up for the next round, the focus is on strengthening the team’s depth and ensuring they have the right players to give Kenya a run for their money in the race for World Cup qualification.
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