Crested Cranes Secure Vital 2-0 Victory Over Ethiopia in WAFCON Qualifiers

The Uganda senior women’s football national team, the Crested Cranes, secured a crucial 2-0 win over Ethiopia in the first leg of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Qualifiers at the newly refurbished Hamz Stadium in Nakivubo.

The match was a tightly contested affair, with both teams battling for an upper hand in the opening stages. Ethiopia nearly took an early lead when Senaf Wakuma found herself in a promising position, but her shot narrowly missed the target. Uganda also came close to breaking the deadlock before halftime, with Aisha Nantongo’s header clipping the side netting and Zainah Namuleme’s powerful strike veering wide. As the first half concluded, neither side had managed to find the back of the net.

After the break, Uganda returned with renewed intensity, dominating possession but struggling to carve out clear scoring opportunities. The Ethiopian goalkeeper, Bergena, made two superb saves in quick succession to deny Phiona Nabbumba, keeping the scoreline level.

However, the breakthrough finally arrived in the 89th minute. Namuleme was fouled just outside the penalty area, and she confidently stepped up to take the resulting free kick. With precision and power, she unleashed a thunderous strike that sailed past the Ethiopian defense and into the net, sending the home crowd into jubilation.

Barely a minute later, Uganda doubled their lead. A defensive lapse from Ethiopia saw them fail to clear their lines, allowing Fazila Ikwaput to capitalize. The prolific forward controlled the ball skillfully before dispatching a clinical finish beyond the goalkeeper, securing a comfortable advantage for the Crested Cranes.

The victory places Uganda in a strong position ahead of the return leg in Ethiopia on February 26. With a two-goal cushion, the Crested Cranes need only to avoid a defeat by more than one goal to progress to the next round.

The aggregate winner between Uganda and Ethiopia will advance to face the victor of the Equatorial Guinea tie, which currently stands at 3-1 after the first leg. With momentum on their side, Uganda will be keen to seal their place in the next stage of the qualifiers and edge closer to a WAFCON 2026 berth.