Teen Cranes head coach Sheryl Botes says she was more impressed by her team’s performance than the scoreline after Uganda opened their 2026 CECAFA U-17 Women’s Championship campaign with a commanding 13-0 victory over Djibouti in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.
The South African tactician watched her side produce a dominant display at the Azam Complex, but insisted the result was not the main takeaway from the Group B encounter.
“It’s not always about the score for me. It’s about the performance. We have been working extensively on areas that challenged us during the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and in the friendly match against Ethiopia. It was pleasing to see some of those positives come through today,” Botes said after the match.
Her comments reflected a coaching staff more focused on the team’s development than the margin of victory. Uganda had entered the tournament seeking to sharpen areas identified during their World Cup qualifying campaign, and Botes was encouraged by how the players translated that work onto the pitch.
The Teen Cranes wasted little time asserting themselves, with Justine Ayerango opening the scoring in the third minute before Lydia Namaseruka doubled the lead from the penalty spot seven minutes later.
Shadia Nabirye led the scoring charts with a hat-trick, while Ayerango and Immaculate Acen each grabbed braces. Flavia Yagala, Tracy Nabalanzi, Rashidah Nakalema, Vicky Atyeronimungu, Brenda Nassaka and Namaseruka also got on the scoresheet as Uganda completed a comprehensive opening-day victory.
Despite the one-sided nature of the contest, Botes admitted the team had not expected such a large winning margin against opponents they were facing for the first time.
“We scored so many goals today that we can hardly believe it ourselves, but it is a positive start. The result has given the girls confidence and belief going forward,” she said.
The victory puts Uganda in a strong early position in Group B and provides a confidence boost ahead of their next fixture against Zanzibar on Tuesday.
For Botes, however, the greatest satisfaction came from seeing evidence that the lessons from recent matches and preparations are beginning to take hold as the Teen Cranes continue their quest for regional success.
