Uganda’s U-17 Women’s National Team, the Teen Cranes, secured a 2-0 away victory over Zimbabwe in the first leg of the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on Sunday in Harare.
First-half goals from Immaculate Acen and Lydia Nameseruka gave Uganda a firm advantage ahead of the return leg scheduled for April 18 at FUFA Stadium, Kadiba.
Uganda started on the front foot and established early control through sustained possession and attacking pressure. Their dominance paid off in the 17th minute when Acen finished calmly to open the scoring after a prolonged spell in Zimbabwe’s half.
The lead was doubled six minutes later. Nameseruka struck from distance, her powerful effort beating the goalkeeper to underline Uganda’s strong start and put the visitors in command before the break.
Zimbabwe struggled to create clear chances against a well-organised Ugandan defence. Goalkeeper Mayimuna Namuwaya was rarely called into action, dealing comfortably with the limited threats that came her way as Uganda went into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
After the restart, the Teen Cranes managed the game with discipline. They controlled possession and limited Zimbabwe’s attacking opportunities, maintaining their structure as the hosts searched for a way back.
Uganda saw out the match without major scares, securing a clean sheet and a valuable away result.
The second leg will be played in Kampala, where Uganda will look to protect their aggregate lead and progress to the next round.
The winner will face either Kenya or Namibia, with Kenya currently holding a 2-1 advantage from the first leg.
