U-17 WWC (Q): Teen Cranes shine on the road with commanding first-leg victory over Zimbabwe

Uganda’s U-17 women’s national team, the Teen Cranes, put themselves in a strong position for qualification with a composed 2-0 win away to Zimbabwe in the first leg of their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifying clash on Sunday.

Joyful scenes in Harare after a 2–0 win over Zimbabwe.

FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers #TeenCranes | #WomenFootballUG pic.twitter.com/4EyZ342MT3

— FUFA Women (@FUFAWomen) April 12, 2026

Playing at Ngoni Stadium, Uganda delivered an assured performance, controlling proceedings for large spells and capitalizing on their early dominance to secure a valuable away advantage.

The breakthrough came just 11 minutes into the contest when Immaculate Acen capped off a lively start with a brilliant solo effort, bursting into the box before firing past the goalkeeper.

Uganda maintained their intensity, and it wasn’t long before they doubled their lead. Lydia Nameseruka struck in the 23rd minute, unleashing a powerful long-range effort that left the hosts with no response.

Zimbabwe briefly threatened to reduce the deficit before halftime, but their goal was ruled out for offside, ensuring Uganda carried a deserved two-goal cushion into the break.

After the restart, the Teen Cranes remained on the front foot, continuing to dictate the tempo and searching for a third goal. However, Zimbabwe tightened at the back to prevent further damage, as Uganda settled for a disciplined and professional 2-0 victory on the road.

The focus now shifts to the return leg scheduled for Saturday, 18 April at FUFA Stadium, Kadiba, where Uganda will look to finish the job in front of home fans.

The aggregate winner will advance to the next round and face either Namibia or Kenya, with Kenya currently holding a narrow 2-1 edge from their first-leg encounter.