Zimbabwe Under-17 Girls coach Lindiwe Ndlovu remains optimistic her side can bounce back despite a 2-0 loss to Uganda women’s national football team in the first leg of their Women’s World Cup qualifier.
The Young Mighty Warriors now face a challenging task in the return leg in Uganda, where they must avoid conceding and score at least three goals to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Ndlovu expressed confidence that her team can turn the tie around, saying the first encounter had provided valuable insight into their opponents.
“We now understand where we fell short and what we need to improve. I believe we can come back stronger in the return match,” she said.
Uganda started the match brightly and took control early on.
Immaculate Acen opened the scoring in the 18th minute after breaking through the Zimbabwe defence and calmly finishing past goalkeeper Ropafadzo Mushava.
Zimbabwe had an opportunity to respond shortly after, working the ball well into the final third, but poor decision-making in front of goal denied them an equaliser.
The hosts doubled their advantage in the 24th minute, with Lydia Namaseruka finding the net despite Mushava’s efforts to keep the ball out.
Zimbabwe gradually grew into the game, creating several chances before the break, but Uganda goalkeeper Adam Mayimuna Namuwaya produced key saves to maintain the lead.
Trailing 2-0 at halftime, Zimbabwe returned with renewed energy and dominated much of the second half.
Their persistence nearly paid off in the 55th minute when Chiedza Khumalo found the net from a rebound, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
Uganda coach Sheryl Botes credited her team’s preparation, revealing they had identified tactical areas to exploit.
“We studied Zimbabwe’s style of play and targeted key areas, including some of their influential players,” she said.
The decisive second leg will determine which team progresses to the next round, where the winner will face either Namibia or Kenya later this month.
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