Uganda’s U-20 women national team, the Queen Cranes, saw their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup dream come to an end after a 1-1 draw with Ghana in the return leg of the final qualification round at FUFA Stadium Kadiba on Saturday.
Despite a determined performance in front of home supporters, Uganda exited the qualifiers 3-2 on aggregate after a tightly contested two-legged tie against the West African giants.
The Queen Cranes made a strong start, stunning Ghana in the seventh minute when Sylvia Kabene scored to level the aggregate score at 2-2, sparking hope among the home crowd.
Buoyed by the early breakthrough, Uganda pressed forward with confidence, mounting sustained pressure as they searched for a decisive second goal that would have secured qualification.
The match appeared to swing further in Uganda’s favour in the 69th minute when Ghana’s Margaret Agyapong was sent off, reducing the visitors to ten players while the aggregate score remained level.
However, Ghana held firm under pressure and struck in the 78th minute through Linda Owusu, whose equaliser restored their aggregate advantage and ultimately sealed qualification for the Black Princesses.
Despite the disappointment, the Queen Cranes exit the competition with pride after pushing one of Africa’s strongest sides to the limit across both legs of a fiercely contested tie.