Kalema Lawrence
Our own Crested Cranes’ and Kawempe Muslim Women FC starlet Juliet Nalukenge has been named among the top ten best promising individuals in Women’s Football in the world.
The senior six student at Kawempe Muslim secondary was listed ninth by global news website, Goal.com in the NXGN 2021 honour due to what she has achieved with the team in the Cecafa U17 in 2019 in Jinja and Cosafa U17 Girls championship – where she made her debut in 2018 from which she netted 18 goals in just five games.
Left – Right: Fauzia Najjemba 4, Shakira Nyinagahirwa 3, Juliet Nalukenge 7 and Margret Kunihira 5
According to Juliet, she is delighted and this honour and has hopes it will act as a great source of motivation as she chases her dream.
“I’m thankful and happy for this award. It is a big honour to be recognised globally and I’m optimistic that this will motivate me to even work harder,”
She was also key as the Crested Cranes continued with the pursuit for Women’s World Cup qualification, where they were scheduled to play Cameroon in the final round before it was cancelled. She has already scored five goals in four games.
Nalukenge won the 2019 Uganda Women’s Footballer of the Year award, is already capped at senior level and harbours her own dreams of playing professionally in Europe.
She was the only African listed in the list of 10 players, that was in line for the 2021 NXGN Award – an award that only recognizes the best male and female players below the age of 20. Lyon’s Hanna Bennison walked away with the ultimate top award where as Barcelona’s Ansu Fati won the male award after beating off competition from Eduardo Camavinga and Giovanni Reyna.
Here is the full List of Female nominees in order.
1. Hanna Bennison (France)
2. Nikita Tromp (Netherlands)
3. Alison Gonzalez (Mexico)
4. Alexis Missimo (USA)
5. Melchie Dumornay (Haiti)
6. Mary Fowler (Australia)
7. Maya Le Tissier (England)
8. Haley Bugeja (Italy)
9. Juliet Nalukenge (Uganda)
10. Maika Hamano (Japan)
