Sheryl Botes has been appointed head coach of the Uganda Women's National Team on a deal until 2026 on a three-year employment contract.

She takes over Charles Ayiekho who has been interim head coach for only one month; taking charge of the team's Olympics Qualifiers where the team fell to Cameroon on a 3-2 aggregate defeat.

The appointment of Botes was announced by the FUFA President Hon. Eng. Moses Magogo on Wednesday/ 15th/ November/ 2023  at a special press conference hosted at FUFA House,  Mengo at which she was officially unveiled to the media and the general public.

 Botes is a former Head Coach of the South African U-20 Women’s National Team, the Basetsana and boasts of an impressive coaching background in South Africa including serving as the Head Coach of the South Africa Football Association Girls Soccer Academy situated ath the High Performance Centre (HPC) in Pretoria and holding a number of certifications such as CAF A, SAFA Pro. 

Botes a serving CAF Coaches’ Instructor has also served as the Technical Advisor to the former South Africa Women Football Head Coach Desiree Ellis on the Banyana Banyana.

“I Thank for entrusting me and appointing me as the senior national team as well as oversee the under 17 and under 20 of junior national teams,” Sheryl Botes noted.

“I am humbled and honored to be part of the fufa and I am    looking forward to this journey.

“I can make this commitment that there will be an improvement in the way we play football and the main objective is to make sure that the Crested Cranes becomes one of the most competitive team in Africa so that we can become a winning nation again; and that’s our biggest focus at the time.”

Besides being the Head Coach of the Crested Cranes, Botes will oversee all other Youth Women National Teams (Under 17 and Under 20) a move that Magogo said that was to enable her expand her responsibilities within all the circles of Ugandan women’s football.

Botes comes with a backroom staff of two South African; i.e. a Goalkeeping Coach and a Sports Scientist. She will later be joined by an assistant of Ugandan origin but this will only materialize after the coach consulting with FUFA.

Story by: Joseph Mary Ssempiira www.sportznow.ug Writer.