Women’s Cup R16: Upcountry Clubs Turn Too sweet for Asubo, Humbles Gyco Girls to Propel to Quarters
Women’s Cup Round of 16 Results:
Gyco Girls 0-3 Asubo-Gafford Ladies FC
Kampala Queens 6-2 Tooro Queens
St Noa Girls 4-3 Lady Doves
Asubo-Gafford Ladies FC propelled to quarters of the 2023 Women’s Cup after beating Gyco Girls FC 3-0 in a game honored at 4th Division Ground in Gulu City on Saturday evening.
Madinah Nakaayi, Irene Nakilyowa and Zaitun Namaganda scored the three goals that sent Asubo to quarterfinals, the level they last reached in 2017 when they eventually reached final and lost to Olila High School via penalty shoots following a one all draw in normal time.
The game was disturbed by heavy rains especially in the first stanza, which affected the flow of the ball though in second half the weather returned to normal.
Asubo-Gafford Ladies FC got an early lead that came in the opening four minutes of the game. Madinah Nakaayi gave the visitors a lead with a straight corner kick that found the back of the net and handed Asubo an abrupt celebration.
Ten minutes into the game Gyco got a clear cut chance to level the matters but the forward put the ball wide.
Kamiyat Naigaga and Zaitun Namaganda got two chances to cement the lead in first stanza but the former’s effort was saved by the custodian and the latter’s chance nearly went off target.
The second stanza was almost 80% dominated by Asubo when they returned to the tik-tak football.
In the 67th minute, from center, Irene Nakilyowa scored unexpected goal when the keeper left the ball thinking it was going outside yet it was on target.
Kamiyat got more chances in second half before Zaitun Namaganda killed all the hopes of the host when she struck a thunderbolt 30 yards, the keeper fumbled with the heavy ball that finally found the back of the net in the 4th minute of the added five.
“It’s not easy to play a team that you have never seen before playing, but we went all out to win the game, hearing 3-0, one might think that it has been an easy one but it was tough, playing upcoming teams at their home ground is very hard, expect not officials to be neutral.” Says Asubo’s tactician Rogers Nkugwa
“The rain also disturbed us but since we won it, we are waiting for our next opponent and we shall handle them as it is. Women Cup is not history, the focus moved to league game which is against Lady Doves.
In space of one week played two upcountry fixtures but won both of them 1-0 against Olila in Soroti, and the women’s Cup fixture of Gyco that it won 3-0.
At quarters, Asubo is likely to face St Noa, the side that beat Lady Doves 4-3 at Africa Bible University playground in Lubowa.
In the other games played today, Kampala Queens thumped Tooro Queens 6-2.