Uganda’s She Cranes head into today’s clash against Zimbabwe with renewed purpose and a deep understanding of just how demanding the Celtic Cup can be. Their perfect run may still be intact, but Thursday’s tense 53–51 victory over hosts Scotland served as a stark reminder that nothing will be handed to them.

While Uganda opened the tournament with commanding wins over Namibia (65–38) and Northern Ireland (72–46), the Scotland duel exposed another side of their character — resilience under fire.

The Emirates Arena in Glasgow crackled with energy as Scotland, buoyed by a patriotic home crowd, pushed Uganda to the very edge. What had looked early on like another routine outing quickly unraveled into a turbulent contest.

After falling behind 3–0, Uganda steadied themselves and used Gloria Aya’s defensive brilliance to carve out a 16–12 first-quarter lead. By then, the She Cranes appeared in full control, dictating tempo and squeezing Scotland’s passing lanes.

But Scotland’s fightback was relentless. The hosts adjusted their structures, forced Uganda into rushed decisions, and ate into the deficit to trail by just two at halftime.

What followed was Uganda’s worst spell of the tournament.

A cascade of misplaced passes, panicked transitions, and defensive lapses saw Scotland overturn the deficit and surge into a 49–39 lead heading into the final break. The partisan arena roared with belief; Uganda were stunned.

Coach Rashid Mubiru’s defensive reshuffle bringing in Faridah Kadondi and moving Shaffie Nalwanja to Wing Defence offered a lifeline. The She Cranes responded with urgency, forced turnovers, and pieced together a crucial 50–45 advantage as the fourth quarter intensified. But they were not out of danger.

Scotland capitalised on another Ugandan miscue to close the gap to 52–50, and the final minute descended into chaos. Uganda’s risky back-pass handed the hosts a golden chance to level, but Niamh McCall failed to sink the under-post attempt. Uganda held their nerve on the rebound, converted, and escaped with a knife-edge win to remain the only unbeaten side with six points and a +55 goal difference.

Now, the equation is straightforward: two more victories starting with Zimbabwe today, then Wales on Sunday will deliver Uganda their first-ever Celtic Cup crown.

Tough lessons learned, unbeaten record preserved, and the title within touching distance. Zimbabwe stands in the way next.