Uganda Women Edge Ethiopia Women 2-0 to Boost WAFCON Qualifying Hopes

The Crested Cranes gave themselves an ideal platform in their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying journey on 21 February 2025, beating Ethiopia Women 2-0 at the KCCA Stadium in Kampala. Uganda’s organised pressing, sharp set-piece work, and disciplined defensive display made the difference on an evening when the hosts had to be patient against a compact Ethiopian side.

Match overview

From the opening exchanges, Uganda took control of possession but struggled to carve out clear opportunities against Ethiopia’s deep defensive block. The visitors grew into the contest, looking dangerous on the counter through their wide forwards, but they rarely troubled the home goalkeeper. The deadlock was finally broken late in the first half when Uganda capitalised on a poorly cleared corner, sweeping the ball home from close range after a scrambling goalmouth sequence.

The goal lifted the home side’s confidence. Uganda began the second half with quicker passing and far more width, pushing Ethiopia onto the back foot. A second goal arrived just after the hour mark, when a direct run down the right flank ended with a low cross that was turned in at the near post. From there, the Crested Cranes managed the game intelligently, keeping Ethiopia at arm’s length and refusing to allow the visitors any rhythm in the final 25 minutes.

Tactical story

Uganda’s success was built on a compact midfield that pressed aggressively every time Ethiopia tried to play out from the back. Their full-backs pushed high to provide natural width, while the two central midfielders sat deeper to screen the defensive line. Ethiopia, for their part, looked most threatening from set-pieces and second balls but lacked the final pass to turn promising positions into clear shots on target.

The result gave Uganda a confidence-boosting win in this qualifying window and highlighted the depth developing within the squad. For Ethiopia, there will be frustration at the lack of a clinical edge, but the narrow margin — and the performance in patches — means they will take encouragement into the return leg once the qualification format resumes.

Standout performers

• Uganda’s goalkeeper — mostly untroubled but alert when called upon to claim crosses.
• Uganda’s central defensive pairing — strong in the air and quick to snuff out Ethiopia’s counter-attacks.
• Ethiopia’s midfield engine — worked tirelessly and kept the game competitive well into the second half.

What it means

For Uganda Women, this 2-0 victory provides valuable momentum as they continue their quest to reach the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Securing a clean sheet alongside the three points will be especially pleasing for the coaching staff, as it gives the team a solid foundation to build upon in the next round of fixtures.