CECAFA U-17 Women’s Championship Final
Uganda 3-0 Tanzania
Third Place Playoff
Kenya 7-0 South Sudan
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Uganda U-17 Women’s National Team, the Teen Cranes, successfully defended their CECAFA U-17 Women’s Championship title with a commanding 3-0 victory over hosts Tanzania in Tuesday’s final.
The triumph cemented Uganda’s dominance in the regional competition and handed head coach Sheryl Ulanda Botes her first silverware since taking charge of the national team.
The Teen Cranes entered the final as defending champions after a flawless campaign that saw them top Group B with nine points from three matches, scoring 20 goals without conceding.
Tanzania also reached the final in impressive form after finishing top of Group A, highlighted by a 10-1 victory over Sudan and a 4-0 win against Somalia.
Uganda started brightly and immediately put the hosts under pressure, earning three corner kicks within the opening minutes.
Brenda Nassaka nearly opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a powerful long-range strike, but the Tanzanian goalkeeper was equal to the task.
The hosts struggled to cope with Uganda’s aggressive pressing game and were forced into several mistakes. Neema Mutunzi was shown a yellow card in the 15th minute after bringing down Shadia Nabirye.
Justine Ayerango remained a constant threat on the left flank, using her pace and direct running to unsettle the Tanzanian defence.
Uganda’s pressure finally paid off in the 38th minute when Ayerango capped a well-worked team move with a clinical finish to give the Teen Cranes a deserved 1-0 lead.
The East African champions doubled their advantage five minutes later as Nassaka calmly slotted home in the 43rd minute, sending Uganda into halftime with a comfortable 2-0 lead.
The Teen Cranes continued where they left off after the break and extended their lead in the 47th minute. Flavia Yagala connected with a precise pass from Nassaka before finishing confidently to make it 3-0.
With a three-goal cushion, Uganda controlled possession and dictated the tempo of the game, denying Tanzania any meaningful opportunities to mount a comeback.
The victory completed a perfect tournament for Uganda, who successfully retained the title they won in the inaugural 2019 edition, where they topped the standings with 13 points before sealing the championship with a 2-0 victory over Kenya.
Earlier in the day, Kenya secured third place after thrashing South Sudan 7-0 in the playoff match.
The tournament attracted eight teams from the region, including Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia and Djibouti.
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