FUFA and Crested Cranes head coach Sheryl Ulanda Botes have mutually agreed to part ways with immediate effect, ending her three-year spell at the helm of the senior women’s national team.
The decision was confirmed on Sunday following a technical evaluation of the team’s recent campaign trajectory.
The development was made on Sunday, October 27, 2026 via FUFA’s official website.
“Crested Cranes Head Coach Sheryl Ulanda Botes and the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) have mutually agreed not to continue and extend the contract, with immediate effect, ending her three-year tenure,” the statement partly reads.
“FUFA would like to thank Sheryl for the good work done and wish her the best in the future,” read a brief statement released by the local football governing body.”
A look back at the Botes era
The South African tactician was unveiled in November 2023 on a three-year contract, taking over the reins to become the first foreign coach to handle the Crested Cranes.
Upon her arrival in Mengo, Botes was entrusted with direct oversight of the senior team while also supervising the developmental pathway across the women’s youth national setups, including the U-17 (Teen Cranes) and U-20 (Queen Cranes) teams.
Armed with a CAF A License, SAFA Pro qualification, and years of experience at the SAFA Girls Soccer Academy at the High-Performance Centre in Pretoria, Botes emphasised building a possession-oriented playing style and integrating young talent into the national apparatus.
While her spell saw tactical structural changes and youth development successes across lower categories, the senior national team endured mixed fortunes in major continental qualifiers, including the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and World Cup qualification pathways.
