Lady Cranes survive

Lady Cranes narrowly escaped their first defeat at home after making a splendid comeback in the last minutes of their game against Kenya.

The Ugandans were down to 14 in the last 10 minutes of the first half when centre referee, Denis Anguyo, sent flanker Hellen Gizamba to the sin bin for a retaliatory uppercut on Kenya's flyhalf. Credit to the forwards for remaining superior in the scrums and lineouts and for the entire team for keeping the Kenyans off the scoresheet at that time. Despite turning over the Kenyans at their scrumdowns and rucks, stealing lineouts and having possession for a good deal of the game, the Ugandans fail to make the most of it and instead gave away two silly tries through missed tackles and a clearance kick charged down in the ingoal.

The score was 0 - 0 at halftime but the Kenyans scored shortly after the break but missed the conversion. Uganda twice came close to scoring but fluffed their chances and instead the Kenyan women scored again with about 20 minutes to go. The conversion was again missed and the Kenyans looked that they would beat Lady Cranes in Uganda for the first time ever but Lady Cranes scored twice through Fortunate Irankunda and Rosenburg Kanyunyuzi in the last 10 minutes of the game to level the score. Both conversions were missed so Lady Cranes settled for a 10 - 10 draw.

Return leg is in Nairobi on May 22nd. Lady Cranes are sponsored by ICEMARK. Bamburi has not put any money into the women's games during this series. I guess we do not give them enough mileage.

The Lady Cranes team

1. Christine Kizito - Thunderbirds

2. Rosenburg Kanyunyuzi - Thunderbirds

3. Fortunate Irankunda - Black Panthers

4. Evelyn Aweku (Vice captain) - Thunderbirds

5. Winnie Atyang - Thunderbirds (Dorothy Nekesa)

6. Aaliya Adania - Thunderbirds

7. Hellen Gizamba - Black Panthers

8. Josephine Namayega - Black Panthers

9. Prossy Nakakande (Captain) - Black Panthers

10. Claire Anena - Black Panthers (Mary Kyoita)

11. Charlotte Mudoola - Black Panthers

12. Brenda Kayiyi - Black Panthers (Joan Namuyomba)

13. Beatrice Atim - Black Panthers

14. Hadijah Namuyanja - Thunderbirds

15. Helen Buteme - Black Panthers

16. Patricia Ayebazibwe - Thunderbirds

17. Rebecca Akwenyu - Black Panthers

18. Dorothy Nekesa - Thunderbirds

19. Aisha Bahhani - Black Panthers

20. Joan Namuyomba - Thunderbirds

21. Asha Nakityo - Thunderbirds

22. Mary Kyoita - Thunderbirds

Head coach: Henry Musoke

Assistant coach: Bobby Musinguzi

Team manager: Anne Alan Sizomu

Team doctor: Joseph Kalanzi