FIFA U20 WWCQ: Queen Cranes Search For Ticket to Poland Starts Today
By: Haba Plan
The Queen Cranes will be hoping to begin their U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign on a high when they host Namibia in the first leg of the tie, scheduled for Friday , 19th September 2025, at 4:00 PM at FUFA Stadium Kadiba.
The final tournament of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup 2026 will be held in Poland from 5th to 27th September 2026.
Following the recent elimination of Uganda’s two women’s national teams from their respective tournaments, the Queen Cranes are eager to seize this opportunity—not only to progress in the qualifiers but also to give back to their fans, who have consistently shown strong support
In a pre-match press conference, team captain Natooro Desire and head coach Ulanda Sherly Botes expressed optimism and determination ahead of the important clash.
“The team is well-prepared. The girls are in great shape and in high spirits to face Namibia. Though I joined the squad a bit late, I’ve trained hard, and the coach has guided me well—I’m fully ready. – Desire Katisi Natooro.
As a captain, I know I must lead by example and put in the extra effort to guide the team. Our focus is to get a positive result against Namibia. I want to assure our fans that we will give them the performance they deserve and bring home a victory.” She added.
Coach Ulanda Sherly Botes:
“We’ve had a very good week of training. The players are now fully grasping the style we want them to play. It’s just about executing on match day. We’ve done our part as the technical team—we’ve instilled confidence and belief in the squad.
I’m happy with the preparations and confident in our players. We believe we can be the better team tomorrow. A win would mean a lot—not just for the team, but for Uganda and for the growth of women’s football under FUFA.”
The winner over two legs between Uganda and Namibia will progress to the next round of the CAF U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and play the winner between Burundi and Zambia.
Every goal and every point will matter as teams across Africa battle for limited slots in the global tournament next year in Poland.