Junior Starlets hammer València CF in friendly ahead of U17 world Cup

The Junior Starlets delivered a masterclass performance in a friendly match on Wednesday after hammering Valencia CF Women 4-1 at the Ciudad Deportiva del València CF.

The win boosts the Mildred Cheche-led girls as they gear up for their upcoming FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup debut.

Valerie Nekesa opened the scores for Starlets in the 9th minute,  before completing her brace in the 26th minute.

Lindey Atieno extended the lead before the breather, for a 3-0 lead.

Starlets continued their dominance in the second half,  as they controlled the match before Atieno completed her double in the 50th minute, extending the lead to 4-0.  

The hosts grabbed their consolation 88th minute from the penalty spot, as  Junior Starlets emerged 4-1 winners  

Nekesa who had passport issues before travelling thanked the management for helping her sort it out and promised the coach Cheche who entrusted her with spearheading the attack, with more goals, ahead of the World Cup.

“We played well but we didn’t execute everything perfectly as planned. I was targeting a hat trick but it didn’t happen.  We will continue working hard and also display nice football, as we look forward to a great World Cup debut,” said Nekesa.

Head coach Cheche congratulated the girls for their display and hoped they build up on the win.

She also believes they are physically fit and they’ll continue working on their mental strength.

“We are going to play against top sides and we have to put in an extra shift since the other teams have played in the tournament before and are more experienced while we are debutants,” added Cheche.

The Kenyan beauties led by captain Elizabeth Ochaka are set to face Portugal on September 27 before winding up their build-up friendlies against another Spanish junior side Intercity on September 30.

Head coach Cheche who is targeting a semifinals slot says the games are crucial for fine-tuning tactics and building match fitness ahead of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, which kicks off on October 16, 2024, in the Dominican Republic.

Junior Starlets who jet out for the Caribbean nation on October 1, 2024, will face tough competition in pool C where they battle England on October 18, Korea DPR on October 20, and Mexico on October 24.