Kenya’s maiden qualification for the 2024 Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup has earned the country nomination in three categories in Africa’s premier football awards.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has nominated Kenya U-17 women's team coach Mildred Cheche for the Coach of the Year award in the women’s category of the annual awards by the continental football body.
Kenyan strike Valerie Nekesa has been shortlisted in the Young Player of the Year category for women while Junior Starlets have been nominated for the Team of the Year award in the women’s category.
It is the first time Kenya is getting nominations for the awards whose gala ceremony will be held in Marrakech, Morocco on December 16, 2024.
For the third year in a row, Morocco will host the awards, which recognise outstanding achievements and performances in African football between January and October.
Cheche guided the Junior Starlets to their maiden appearance at the Fifa Women’s Under-17 World Cup in the Dominican Republic from October 16 to November 3, 2024.
Kenya played in Group ‘C’ alongside eventual champions North Korea, 2024 semifinalists England, and the 2018 finalists Mexico.
Kenya lost to England and North Korea 2-0 and 3-0 respectively before recording a historic 2-1 win over Mexico to finish third in their group with three points.
Kenya U-17 women's team coach Mildred Cheche issues instructions to her players from the touchline during a 2024 Fifa U-17 World Cup qualifying match against Burundi in Nairobi on June 16, 2024.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Cheche’s nomination comes just days after she graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in International Business Management from Kiriri Women's University of Science and Technology.
Cheche has been nominated for the award alongside nine top coaches including, hinasonke Mbuli from Cape Verde who guided the University of the Western Cape to their maiden qualification for the Caf Women's Champions League, which is ongoing in Morocco.
Bankole Olowookore and Chris Danjuma, coaches of Nigeria's Under 17 and Under 20 teams that took part in the 2024 Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup and the Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic and in Colombia respectively have also been shortlisted for the award, alongside Hassan Abdousalami, coach of Cameroon's Under-17 team.
Other coaches on the shortlist are Lamia Boumehdi, who coaches Congolese women’s football team TP Mazembe, Ahmed Ramadan of Egyptian club FC Masar, Mohamed Amine Alioua who is the coach of Moroccan club AS FAR, Moses Adukwu of Nigerian club Edo Queens and Mbayang Thiam of Senegalese club Aigles de la Medina.
In the team of the Year category, Junior Starlets have been shortlisted alongside Nigeria's U-17 and U-20 women’s teams, Cameroon’s U-20 team, Morocco’s U-20 teams and the women's national teams from Malawi, South Africa, and Zambia.
Nekesa, who was named the Most Promising Female Footballer in 2023 Sports Athlete of the Year Awards, has been shortlisted in the Young Player of the Year category.
Nekesa’s crowning moment came when she scored Kenya's first ever goal in a Fifa World Cup competition. Nekesa scored against Mexico at the 2024 Fifa U-17 Women’s World Cup in a match Kenya won 2-1. She also provided an assist for Lorna Faith to score Kenya’s second goal.
Nekesa has been shortlisted alongside Cameroonian player Cathy Biya who plays for Cameroonian Club Eclair, Naomi Eto (Cameroon/Amazone FAP), Habiba Sabry (Egypt/FC Masar) and Stella Nyamekye (Ghana/Dreamz Ladies).
Other nominees on the shortlist are Doha El Madani (Morocco/AS FAR), Lina Mokhtar Jamai (Morocco/Paris Saint-Germain), Chiamaka Okuchukwu (Nigeria/Rivers Angels), Flourish Sabastine (Nigeria/Stade de Reims) and Nthabiseng Majiya (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns).
The winners of each category will be determined through votes from a diverse panel, including the Caf technical committee, media professionals, and the head coaches, and captains of member associations, as well as clubs participating in the group stages of Caf Interclub competition.
