Uganda U17 national team head coach Sheryl Botes is optimistic that her team will stage a comeback against the Junior Starlets on Sunday March 16, and win the second leg of the World Cup Qualifier, set to take place in Kenya at the Nyayo International Stadium.
The Junior Starlets managed to edge past the Uganda girls with a 2-0 victory at Nakivubo Stadium in Kampala, giving them the upper hand as they head into the second round.
The two goals were scored by Edinah Nasipwondi and Joan Ogola.
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In preparation for the second leg, Botes acknowledged the formidable and experienced players from the Kenyan side.
However, she remains confident that tactical adjustments will help her team bounce back and secure a win in the second leg.
“We knew we were going to face a very motivated team, one that performed well on the World Cup. I must admit, I’m very proud of the goals scored; I think we showed tremendous fighting spirit. We fought hard from the beginning.
Yes, we were up against a very strong squad, as we saw from the outset, but it’s not over yet. We still have the second leg, and we’ll make a few changes,” Botes told the media after the match in Uganda.
She further noted that there were certain areas that needed improvement and emphasized that her plan for the second leg includes making tactical changes to ensure they score two goals and claim victory on Sunday.
“We need to elevate our performance to the level of Kenya, who went on to the World Cup. I believe that the more we play, the stronger we become as a team. I’m proud of our effort, even though we made two key mistakes today that left us two goals down. However, we had opportunities because we were in control of the match.
I’m confident that the changes we make moving forward will be tactical. We are looking ahead to the second leg with determination. We need to focus on a few areas, but our goal is to score two goals in Kenya and win this game,” she explained, outlining her strategic approach to ensure a victory on Sunday.
The crucial second-leg match will determine which team progresses to the final round of the qualifying tournament, where they will face the winner of the match between Cameroon and Ethiopia.
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Uganda U17 head coach Sheryl Botes in action during the first Leg match against Junior Starlets// PHOTO FUFA X
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