Junior Starlets will battle their Moroccan counterparts in
two build-up friendly matches ahead of their Women U17 World Cup qualifiers
against Cameroon later this month.
Head coach Mildred Cheche’s girls, who landed in Rabat,
Morocco, last night, will have their first training session this evening, with the
first clash set for Friday before concluding their stay in the North African
nation with the second leg on April 7, 2025.
Head coach Cheche says the two friendlies come at the right
time as they will help the technical bench gauge where the girls are in terms
of fitness levels, tactical awareness and technical ability.
“Morocco keep the ball a lot and are a very technical team. Tactically, they are also very good, and playing them will give us a picture ahead of our
match and also give us the confidence to battle Cameroon. Cameroon are a very
physical team and they use a lot of power play, and they have good strikers, so
we have to prepare our defence effectively and prepare our forwards to score
early goals,” Cheche Said
Starlets captain Halima Imbachi said morale is high in the compound, and they are looking forward to battling their hosts in the friendly matches to
gauge themselves.
“The game will help us gain more fitness and the girls are
highly motivated ahead of their clash with Cameroon, and they are looking
forward to winning the final leg of the qualifier to grab their ticket to their
second world cup,” said Halima.
Meanwhile, FKF president Hussien Mohammed said they will
support the girls in every aspect to ensure they clinch their ticket to the
continental showpiece.
“Our girls made us proud by qualifying for the first ever
world cup by any Kenyan football team, and we will ensure head coach Mildred
Cheche gets the best preparations before the final qualifying leg against
Cameroon,” said Hussein.
The Kenyan beauties overcame Uganda 5-0 on aggregate in the
second round of the qualifiers, while the Young Lionesses hammered Ethiopia
6-2 en route to the final round.
Cheche’s girls are chasing history with their second
appearance, having made their U17 FIFA Women’s World Cup debut in the Dominican
Republic in December 2024.
Kenya will face Cameroon on April 20, 2025, at Nyayo Stadium, before battling in the return leg on Friday, April 25, 2025, at Stade Olembe.
