The Uganda U-17 Women’s National Team, the Teen Cranes, will begin their 2026 CECAFA U-17 Women’s Championship campaign on Sunday with an opening Group B clash against Djibouti at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with kick-off set for 4:00 PM East Africa Time.
The squad wrapped up their preparations on Saturday afternoon with a final training session at the TRA Ground, where the technical team focused on refining key tactical areas identified after their international friendly against Ethiopia. The buildup has centred on improving fluency in attack, sharper communication, and greater efficiency in the final third as the team looks to make an early statement in the regional competition.
Head Coach Sheryl Botes has expressed confidence in the group ahead of the opener, stressing the importance of setting the tone with a positive result. “Today we had our final training session mainly to do a little repetition of how we want to play against Djibouti. The camp is positive and our first objective is to win the opening match,” said Botes.
She added that the team has placed strong emphasis on linking play from defence into attack more effectively, highlighting improved movement and decision making in key areas. “We focused on those areas from defence into the final third. I am positive that we will fight again tomorrow because we want to win our first match,” she said.
Uganda have been drawn in Group B alongside Djibouti, South Sudan and Zanzibar as they aim to build momentum early in the tournament and push for a strong run in the championship.
