Ethiopia hope to stop Botswana in FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers

Hosts Ethiopia will this afternoon be all out to seal their qualification for the next round of the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

The Ethiopian team will host Botswana in the second leg of the third round at the Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa. Coach Firew Hailegebral’s team registered a comfortable 3-1 win in the first leg.

“We have prepared well and the team is rearing to go all out and win at home to qualify for the next stage,” Hailegebral told Cecafaonline ahead of training in Addis Ababa on Thursday.

The coach made it clear that although they won the first leg, the team will double their efforts to make sure they seal qualification to the next round. Apart from one player who will have to pass a fitness test, all the other players are well prepared for the match,” added the Ethiopian coach.

The hosts will hope that Aryat Odong, Rediet Asresahgn and Mesay Temsgen who all scored in the first leg find their scoring touch again.

CECAFA’s other representatives Uganda will also face South Africa today in the return leg at the Dobsonsville Stadium in Johannesburg.

The Ugandan team won the first leg 1-0 in Kampala and will be looking for another win or a draw to qualify for the next round.

Ayub Khalifa Kiyingi, Uganda’s coach said he is confident they have prepared well and should be able to get a good result.

 “I think these are the best players we have selected to go and do the job. I have the belief that the squad selected is competent to help us secure the result we want,” added Kiyingi.

On Saturday Burundi will host Tanzania in what promises to be a thriller in the other third round qualifying match. The Tanzanian team picked a 3-2 win in the first leg.

The eight teams that will qualify on aggregate will play in the fourth round of the qualifiers. Africa will be represented by two teams at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022 in Costa Rica.