Uganda’s Crested Cranes wrapped up their campaign at the 2025 CECAFA Senior Women’s Championship with a third-place finish, earning bronze after a mixed run in the round-robin tournament held in Dar es Salaam.
The tournament featured five teams—Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and South Sudan—competing for top honors. Uganda started their campaign with a 1-0 loss to Burundi but bounced back with a commanding 5-0 win over South Sudan, led by a hat-trick from Sylvia Kabene.
Despite heavy defeats to regional heavyweights Kenya (4-0) and hosts Tanzania (2-0), the Crested Cranes secured third place with three points and a goal difference better than South Sudan and Burundi.
Uganda scored five goals across four games and conceded seven. Their standout moment came in their second match, where they overwhelmed South Sudan with five first-half goals from Kabene, Shamirah Nalugya, and captain Zainah Namuleme.
Tanzania went on to lift the trophy after a 1-0 victory over Kenya in the final game. Clara Luvanga scored the decisive goal, helping the Twiga Stars maintain a perfect record across their four matches. Kenya finished second, also on nine points, but with an inferior goal difference.
Uganda’s third-place finish reflects the team’s resilience and growing experience on the regional stage, even as they look ahead to improving in future competitions.
