Uganda’s national women football team, the Crested Cranes, host their Rwandan counterparts, She-Amavubi in the first of the two-legged 2024 Olympic Qualifiers on Wednesday, July 12 at the Pele stadium in Kigali.
Speaking ahead of the game, Crested Cranes’ coach Ayub Khalifa Kiyingi said his team is prepared for a ‘comfortable victory’ despite playing at the neutral ground.
“The girls feel at home here [in Kigali]; so, Ugandan should expect a comfortable victory for us in tomorrow’s match,” Kiyingi stated during a pre-match media briefing on Tuesday, July 11.
The Crested Cranes opted to host their home game in Kigali, which is Rwanda’s capital, due to lack of CAF-approved stadia in Uganda at the moment.
Both Mandela National stadium, Namboole and St Mary’s stadium, Kitende are currently under renovations and upgrade to fit the required international standards.
Ordinarily, Rwanda’s She-Amavubi have the advantage of playing both games in their backyard. However, Kiyingi insists that the Crested Cranes are a superior side and have what it takes to prevail over their Rwandan opponents.
The Crested Cranes warmed up for the Olympic qualifier with a 3-1 victory over Tanzania in an international friendly played on July 7 at Lugogo.
Furthermore, the Crested Cranes go into this tie with a lot of international experience following their participation in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Finals held last year in Morocco.
After Wednesday’s first leg game, the She-Amavubi will host the Crested Cranes in the return leg match on July 16 at the same venue.
The winner over the two legs will advance into the first round of Africa’s qualifiers for the Olympic Games scheduled for next year in Paris, France.
Africa will be represented by two countries at the Games in Paris.