Uganda Women Advance After Egypt Pulls Out

Uganda team officials will have ample time to prepare the U-20 women team for their next 2014 World Cup qualifier due in December.

Uganda was due to take on Egypt in the first round of the qualifiers later this month but the north Africans have pulled out for unclear reasons paving the way for Uganda to advance to the second round.

Uganda will play Ivory Coast/Equatorial Guinea and Ghana/Guinea Bissau in the second round. Ivory Coast/Equatorial Guinea and Ghana/Guinea Bissau will later this month play in the first round of the 2014 World Cup whose final is due in Canada.

Uganda ejected South Sudan 22-0 on aggregate in the preliminary round. In a brief communication CAF wrote to FUFA on Tuesday, the continental soccer governing body has informed Uganda that Egypt had withdrawn for unclear reasons.

The news of Egypt's retraction must be the best news for FUFA technical consultant on women football Lisa Berg, who had opted to prepare new players for the challenge since a number of players were doubtful for the match as they would be concentrating writing their final senior four and six examinations during the time Uganda was scheduled to play.

Uganda will now have to wait until the weekend of December 6th to travel and play either Ivory Coast or Equatorial Guinea and Ghana or Guinea Bissau in the second round fixture away.

Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Tunisia, Mozambique, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Guinea Bissau join the contest in the first round.

Two African countries will finally qualify for the World Cup that will be staged in Canada next year.