Junior Starlets captain Elizabeth Ochaka is confident of making history by reaching the semis at the next month's 2024 Fifa Under-17 World Cup set for the Dominican Republic next month.
The debutants, who will train in Marbella City, southern Spain for two weeks, are upbeat ahead of the global stage challenge with a semifinal slot as their target.
Ochaka is confident they can reach the Cup semifinals despite facing highly ranked and experienced sides that have previously graced the tournament.
“We are very happy and very proud to be the first Kenyan side to make it to the World Cup at any level. We don’t fear any side because we know we are equally good and we will be chasing more history,” said Ochaka.
Apart from marshalling Starlets' defence that didn’t concede any goal in four matches, the 16-year-old defender scored a goal, prompting FKF Women Premier League champions to sign her from Shiraha Starlets.
“Spain is a bit cold but we are acclimatising well ahead of the tournament. The facilities here are top notch and we are loving it. The team is in high spirits and all we need to do is play according to the coach’s instructions," she added.
Head coach Mildred Cheche, who took the girls through their paces in another three-week local camp before leaving for Spain on Thursday, remains confident they can go all the way to the semis.
Cheche and her technical bench made the difficult decision of dropping 12 players including Claire Meris, Sheryl Amuok and Mitshelle Waithera due to injury.
“We have improved in different areas, where we had gaps. Playing internationally is different from playing locally because we'll face the best in the world. We start as underdogs because we are making our debut but I like that,” said Cheche.
The 2024 Fifa U17 Women’s World Cup will take place from October 16 to November 3. Kenya will open their fixtures against England on October 18, before battling Korea DPR on October 20. They conclude their Group C fixtures against Mexico on October 24.
This year’s tournament will be the last to feature 16 teams before they increase to 24 for the next edition. Morocco will host the next edition, and it will be the first time the tournament is played in Africa.
