Fifa Women's WC qualifiers: Kenya U-20 coach Juma looks to build on slim lead against Tanzania

Kenya’s coach, Jackline Juma, is confident her team will build on a slender 1-0 first-leg win over Tanzania when the two teams clash in the reverse fixture of the 2026 Fifa Women’s Under-20 World Cup qualifiers in Dar es Salaam.

Kenya’s Rising Starlets head to Dar es Salaam for Saturday's return leg of the third round qualifier match, which will be played at Azam Sport Complex in Chamazi, Dar es Salaam.
Kenya won the first leg 1-0, with striker Elizabeth Mideva scoring in the 85th minute at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi on Saturday.

Strong side 

“We aimed for maximum points against a strong side with many experienced players who feature for their senior team. My girls played well, giving us something to protect and defend in the return leg, but we’ll continue working on weaknesses seen during the match so as to win the reverse fixture,” the Caf ‘A’ license holder said.
Starlets squandered numerous scoring opportunities, prompting coach Juma to introduce two players in the second half to sharpen the attack. Hilder Natecho replaced Pearl Olesi as Juma sought to stabilise the midfield. The match marked Natecho’s debut for the national team.

Later, Emily Kemunto Morang'a came on for Lorna Faith in attack, and Morang'a provided an assist for Mideva, who scored the winner.
“We missed many scoring chances in the match,” Juma acknowledged. “Sometimes, players who excel in training underperform in matches. We can't fault them for missed opportunities; it's something we can address.”
She added: “We initially used one striker, then switched to two after our opponents adopted a three-defender system, which proved effective. We have an advantage heading into the second leg and are close to the fourth round.””
Tanzania’s coach Bakari Shime expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance.
“We played well for the first 10 minutes, but quickly realised the pitch was poor. This was a big fixture, and your plan to make us play on a bad pitch succeeded, even though Kenya has good pitches. Why did they settle on this one?” he lamented. Regarding the condition of the pitch, Juma said, “It's about adequately preparing your players before a match. Nothing else.”

Final round

Kenya is on the verge of the final round, needing only a draw in the return leg to advance.
The aggregate winner will face either Cameroon or Botswana in May for the fourth and final round.
Cameroon defeated Botswana 5-0 in the first leg in Yaoundé on Saturday. The return leg will take place in Francistown, Botswana, this Saturday.
Both Kenya and Tanzania are seeking their first appearance on the global stage in this category. The tournament will be held in Poland from September 5 to 17.

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