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Crested Cranes coach Sheryl Botes with Boni Consilii Girls team
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By Our Reporter
Crested Cranes head coach Sheryl Ulanda Botes has expressed her delight at the rapid development of girls’ football in Uganda. Botes made the remarks following her talent-scouting mission at the recently concluded USSSA Ball Games I Girls Football Championship, held at Bukedea Comprehensive School, where she camped for over five days.
“Yes, I was very impressed with the quality of play displayed by the players at the tournament. Hands up to USSSA—they organized an excellent tournament with 64 schools competing. That’s massive, with over 1,200 players taking part,” Botes said. “The final was exciting, and the organization at Amus College and Bukedea for the matches was top-notch—very well-organized and disciplined.”
Botes congratulates Boni Consilii 9 goal striker Rinah Ariho
She added that she was pleasantly surprised by the level of talent, citing schools such as St. Mary’s Magdalen, Lugazi Homestone, Bunya SS, Jinja SS, and Bukedea as standout contributors.
“There were many players who impressed me from these schools. Overall, the level of football has improved, and there is a great future for women’s football in the country,” she added.
Botes, who also heads the technical teams for the national U20 side Queen Cranes and the U17 Teen Cranes, commended USSSA for consistently maintaining high standards in girls’ competitions—key to nurturing talent for national teams.
“The national teams can’t thrive in isolation—we need USSSA and school football. The players coming through help support the Women Super League (WSL), other leagues, and the national teams. I’ve seen several promising U17 and U20 players.”
Crested Cranes coach Sheryl Botes with Boni Consilii Girls team
Botes revealed that some of the standout players identified during the championship will be called up for the U20 national team, which is preparing for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Namibia.
“We will be integrating some of the selected players into the U20 setup moving forward. We’re fortunate that FUFA also deployed scouts for both the boys’ and girls’ tournaments. These scouts identified many players, who will be brought in at later stages,” she said. “Next will be the U17 camp, and I’ll include some of the younger talents we’re earmarking for next year.”
Boni Consilii Midfielder Loyce Komugisha (blue) battles a Bugisu High opponent
Since her appointment in November 2023, Botes has led the Crested Cranes through WAFCON qualifiers, managed the Teen Cranes in the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, and overseen several international friendlies—marking a new chapter for women’s football development in Uganda.
Torch Media Africa
