Second time back to the World Cup, the secret is God and hard work. We have been prayerful.”
Those were the words of Junior Starlets coach Mildred Cheche as she summed up Kenya’s qualification to the Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup on Sunday. Kenya also qualified for the 2024 tournament held in the Dominican Republic.
The 16th edition of the tournament will be held in Morocco from October 17 to November 8, and Kenya will make a second consecutive appearance in the global showpiece. Coach Cheche could not hide her joy after guiding the Junior Starlets back to the world stage, crediting the team’s success to faith, hard work, and determination.
The tactician praised her players for staying focused throughout a demanding qualifying campaign, describing the journey as difficult but rewarding.
“It has been a good journey, and it has not been easy, but we are happy with the win,” said Cheche after Kenya secured a ticket to Morocco.
Junior Starlets coach Mildred Cheche.
Photo credit: Pool
Kenya qualified for the tournament after overcoming South Africa 5-1 on aggregate. Starlets won the first leg 2-0 in Pretoria on July 4 and completed the job with a 3-1 victory in the return leg at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Sunday.
South Africa’s Bantwana started strongly and took the lead on Sunday in the fifth minute of the match through captain Katleho Malebana, who capitalised on a defensive mistake.
Cheche responded by introducing midfielder Emily Adhiambo at the start of the second half, a change that added energy to Kenya’s midfield.
Starlets grew stronger after the break; forward Gaudencia Maloba levelled the scores in the 70th minute after connecting with Sylvia Namisi’s cross.
Brendah Awuor then converted a penalty to put Kenya ahead before substitute Elizabeth Achieng sealed a 3-1 win deep in stoppage time.
Cheche admitted her players struggled with pressure in the opening half of the decisive match but responded well after the break.
“In the first half, most of the players had stage fright. When we went back to the changing room, we reminded them that we were at home and they had to step up and deliver the result,” she said.
The coach has now turned her attention to preparations for the global tournament, where Kenya will be aiming to go beyond the group stage. “Our next step is to prepare well for the World Cup because we want to go past the group stages,” she added.
“Most teams lose hope when they concede an early goal, but we came back stronger in the second half, knowing the match was not over. We found a solution by working together, and it worked out. We decided to fight until the end,” said Captain Beverline Awuor.
Starlets navigated a challenging qualification campaign to secure their return to the Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
Kenya started their campaign by eliminating Namibia 7-1 on aggregate in the first round of qualifiers in April. They won 2-1 away in Windhoek before completing the assignment with a commanding 5-0 victory at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi.
In the second round, Kenya faced regional rivals Uganda in a closely contested tie. After a 1-1 draw in Kampala and a goalless stalemate at Nyayo National Stadium, the Starlets progressed on the away-goal rule.
The qualification was a redemption for Kenya after missing out on last year’s tournament following elimination in the final qualifying round. The team lost 3-1 away to Cameroon in Yaoundé before suffering a 1-0 defeat in the return leg at Nyayo, ending their hopes of making a second successive appearance.
Kenya made history in 2024 by qualifying for their maiden Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic.
Junior Starlets' players celebrate after scoring a goal against South Africa in the 2026 Fifa U-17 World Cup qualifiers at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on July 12, 2026.
Photo credit: Pool
During their debut appearance, they were eliminated in the group stage. Kenya finished third in Group C with three points, behind group winners and defending champions North Korea (nine points) and England (six points). The team finished ahead of Mexico.
Kenya lost 2-0 to England and 3-0 to North Korea but secured a memorable 2-1 victory over Mexico. Forward Lorna Faith, who is currently with the Kenya Under-20 team, was named Player of the Match.
At the 2026 tournament, Kenya will represent Africa alongside Morocco, Ghana, Zambia, and Nigeria.
The Starlets have been drawn in Group ‘E’ alongside 2008 runners-up USA, 2025 debutants Samoa, and China, who have competed in the tournament five times.
South Africa coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo congratulated Kenya for securing qualification while praising her players for their effort despite missing out.
“I want to congratulate Kenya. We knew losing at home would make it difficult for us to win away, but I am proud of my girls. They gave their best. It is football; you try your best in the game, but sometimes the result goes the other way,” said Khumalo.
The President spoke to the team through a video call shortly after the victory. During the call, the head of state praised the players and the technical bench for their hard work and determination in guiding Kenya back to the global stage for the second time.
Only three players in the current squad, forward Lindey Weey Atieno and defenders Faith Boke and Brenda Awuor, are the only survivors from the Kenya team that featured at the 2024 finals.
The rest of the squad comprises new faces, with most members of the previous team having graduated to the Under-20 national side, the Rising Starlets, or the senior women’s national team, the Harambee Starlets.
Trio of forwards Marion Serenge and Valarie Nekesa, along with defender Elizabeth Ochaka, who were also part of the 2024 squad, have earned places in the Harambee Starlets’ final squad for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Morocco later this month.
