The Junior Starlets are set to battle Cameroon in the return leg of their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final round qualifier in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The match is a must-win for the Kenyan side.
Kenya suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Baby Lionesses in the first leg in Nairobi, with Tiwa Melong scoring the only goal of the match in the first half. To stay in contention, the Starlets must win by at least 1-0 to force post-match penalties.
The team departed Kenya early Wednesday morning, heading to Cameroon with a World Cup ticket to Morocco 2025 on the line.
Head coach Mildred Cheche, who had maintained a perfect record in six previous qualifiers, now faces elimination. Just 90 minutes stand between the Starlets and a second consecutive World Cup appearance.
Cheche’s defense, which conceded for the first time in the current qualifying campaign, will be led by experienced center-back Elizabeth Ochaka, supported by Judith Nandwa, Lorine Ilavonga, and Jenevive Mithel. They will need to offer better protection to goalkeeper Velma Abwire to keep a clean sheet.
Team captain Halima Imbachi remains confident of a comeback.
“We have worked hard in training, and our coaches have corrected our mistakes. We’re going to put in even more effort than we did in the first leg to make sure we get the win,” said Imbachi.
She will be joined in midfield by Mwanakombo Bakari and Lindy Weey Atieno, who is expected to replace Brenda Achieng in the starting lineup. The midfield trio will look to feed the front line of Joy Angela Valencia, Joan Ogola, and Edinah Nasipwondi.
On Tuesday night, the team received a morale boost during a dinner hosted by Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed.
Newly appointed Principal Secretary for Sports Elijah Mwangi, who attended the dinner, pledged full support for the team.
“These young girls have shown great resilience to reach this stage. For them, it is a milestone, but for us at the ministry, it’s about promoting sporting discipline. We’ll reward their success and support their future,” said Mwangi.
Kenya is seeking a second straight World Cup qualification, having featured in the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic.
The decisive match will take place at the 60,000-seater Olémbé Omnisport Stadium in Yaoundé on Friday, April 25, 2025. The winner will secure a place in the Rabat 2025 tournament, scheduled for October.
