FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers
Friday, May 22: Uganda 1 Kenya 1
Return Leg: 30th June (Kenya v Uganda 3pm)
Kampala, Uganda: Uganda’s U-17 Women’s National Team, the Teen Cranes, were held to a 1-1 draw by Kenya in the first leg of the second round of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers on Friday evening at FUFA Stadium, Kadiba.
The result leaves the East African derby delicately balanced ahead of the decisive return leg scheduled for May 30 at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
Uganda made a bright start and took an early lead in the 13th minute through in-form forward Shadia Nabirye, who calmly finished past the Kenyan goalkeeper to send the home fans into celebration.
The Teen Cranes controlled large portions of the opening half and looked on course for victory after producing another disciplined display.
However, Kenya returned stronger after the break and eventually found the equaliser in the 60th minute through Emily Adhiambo, who punished Uganda after sustained pressure from the visitors.
Despite late efforts from both sides, neither team managed to find a winner as the contest finished level ahead of the crucial second leg in Nairobi.
Tie remains wide open
The draw means Uganda must now avoid defeat away from home to keep alive hopes of reaching the final qualification round for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Coach Sheryl Ulanda Botes’ side had entered the encounter with confidence after an impressive first-round campaign that saw Uganda eliminate Zimbabwe 6-1 on aggregate.
The Teen Cranes secured a 2-0 away victory before completing the job with a commanding 4-1 win in Kampala.
Kenya, meanwhile, came into the fixture carrying strong momentum after dismantling Namibia 7-1 on aggregate in the previous round.
The Junior Starlets are also boosted by experience after representing Africa at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic.
Road to Morocco 2026
The qualification campaign is being played in three rounds on a home-and-away basis involving teams from across Africa.
The winners from the second round will progress to the final qualification stage, where four African nations will secure places at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The global tournament will be hosted in Morocco from October 17 to November 7, 2026.
It will mark the 10th edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the third time the competition is being staged on African soil.
North Korea are the defending champions after winning a record fourth title in 2025.
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