KAS girls secure podium finish in GIFT tournament
Kenya Academy of Sport (KAS) Under 17 Girls team pose for a photo after finishing third in the Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT) at Azam Sports Complex in Dar es Salaam Tanzania on January 18, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Cheche’s Junior Starlets are set to face Uganda in the second round of the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers in March. Uganda advanced after an 18-0 aggregate victory over Namibia.
- “We do not fear Uganda,” said KAS captain Velma Abwire. “With our World Cup experience, we’ll treat them like any other team. If we prepare well, we can surprise them and win.
Kenya Under-15 girls' coach Jackline Juma has underscored the need to support young players in transitioning to senior teams to establish a robust feeder system for the national U15, U17, U20, and Harambee Starlets teams.
She emphasised that this approach would bolster Kenya's competitiveness in women’s football.
Juma shared these insights on Sunday at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) upon her return from Tanzania, where she led the U-17 girls’ team from the Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) to a third-place finish in the inaugural Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT).
“Most players who took us to the U17 World Cup in the Dominican Republic came from KAS, where I was head coach during the Coast Daurada tournament last February, finishing second,” said Juma, the only female coach in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) with FC Talanta.
The KAS team capped off the tournament with a decisive 2-0 victory over Boni Consilli Girls of Uganda in the third-place playoff. Midfielders Brenda Achieng and Mitshel Muthama scored in the 60th and 83rd minutes, respectively.
Juma praised the introduction of fresh talent: “The majority of players were young girls who missed last year’s Pan Africa School Games. This time, we focused on grassroots and school talent development, giving new players a chance to shine.”
Kenya fielded two teams in the tournament after Ethiopia’s Bahir Dar Kenema FC withdrew. Coach Mildred Cheche’s Kenya Elite Junior Academy (KEJA) exited during the group stages.
Among the rising stars, U15 players Tabitha Wambui (midfielder) and Faith Boke (defender) earned promotions to the U17 team.
Other key players included Butere Girls High School midfielders Halima Imbachi and Joy Angela Valencia, defenders Jenevive Mithel, Lindey Weey, Lorine Ilavonga, and goalkeeper Velma Abwire—all of whom played in the U17 World Cup.
Cheche’s Junior Starlets are set to face Uganda in the second round of the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers in March. Uganda advanced after an 18-0 aggregate victory over Namibia.
“We do not fear Uganda,” said KAS captain Velma Abwire. “With our World Cup experience, we’ll treat them like any other team. If we prepare well, we can surprise them and win.”
Juma remains optimistic: “With adequate preparation and strong support from the government and federation, the U17 team can make a successful return to the World Cup in Morocco.”
