CECAFA U20 Women’s Championship
Uganda 2-3 Ethiopia
FUFA Technical Centre
Tuesday, November 09
The Uganda U20 Women’s national football team surrendered a two-goal lead and lost 3-2 to Ethiopia in their final game at the 2021 CECAFA U20 Women’s Championship on Tuesday, November 09 at Njeru.
The result meant that Ethiopia who won all their five games at the tournament won the round-robin competition with 15 points, three ahead of second-placed Uganda.
Needing just a draw to win it all, Uganda raced into a 2-0 lead inside the first 40 minutes of the game thanks to goals from Hadijjah Nandago and captain Fauzia Najjemba.
However a combination of complacency on the host’s side and some determination by Ethiopia, saw the latter upset the odds to flip the contest on it’s head.
Six minutes into the second half, Rediet Assrasahang pulled one back to halve the deficit.
Uganda’s head coach Ayub Khalifan made a double substitution to try and steady proceedings as Ethiopia threw the kitchen sink to his charges. Catherine Nagadya and Zaitun Namaganda were introduced for Zainah Nandede and Nandago.
Aisha Nakibuuka was also sent on later for Margret Kunihira but that did not deter Ariet Odong from levelling matters on 79 minutes.
Tigist Haile completed the comeback on 83 minutes to see Ethiopia win the competition and leave Uganda to contemplate on what happened in a game that they had absolute control and looked headed to winning it all.
Uganda’s Najjemba finished as the competition’s top scorer with 11 goals while Birkae Amare of Ethiopia was named the Most Valuable Player. Uganda also took home the fair play award as consolation.
