Uganda's Teen Cranes have booked their place in the final of the 2026 Cecafa U-17 Women's Championship after a commanding 3-0 victory over Kenya in Sunday's semi-final in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The Ugandan side maintained their impressive form throughout the tournament, extending their unbeaten run and preserving a perfect defensive record as they moved within one match of regional glory.
Shadia Nabirye gave Uganda an early lead in the seventh minute when she reacted quickest inside the penalty area to convert a well-delivered corner from Martha Babirye.
The early breakthrough settled the Teen Cranes, who dominated large portions of the contest and controlled proceedings against their East African rivals.
Immaculate Acen doubled Uganda's advantage in the 40th minute, handing the Teen Cranes a comfortable cushion heading into halftime.
With a two-goal lead, Uganda managed the second half effectively, limiting Kenya's attacking opportunities while remaining dangerous on the counterattack.
Their dominance was rewarded again in stoppage time when Kenya defender Jael Samiyu inadvertently turned the ball into her own net in the 94th minute, sealing a comprehensive 3-0 victory for Uganda.
The result extends Uganda's remarkable tournament record, with the Teen Cranes now having won all four of their matches without conceding a single goal.
Uganda reached the semi-finals after a flawless group-stage campaign in which they topped Group B with maximum points following victories over South Sudan, Zanzibar and Djibouti.
The Teen Cranes thrashed Djibouti 13-0, defeated Zanzibar 3-0 and overcame South Sudan 4-0, underlining their status as one of the tournament favourites.
Across four matches, Uganda have scored 23 goals and conceded none, highlighting both their attacking strength and defensive discipline.
Hosts Tanzania were scheduled to face South Sudan in the second semi-final later on Sunday to determine Uganda's opponents in the championship decider.
The tournament, which serves as the opening Cecafa competition of the season, attracted eight teams: Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Djibouti, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia and Zanzibar.
Uganda will now turn their focus to the final as they seek to complete a near-perfect campaign by lifting the regional title.
