How Kenya Under-17 girls punched above their weight in Fifa World Cup
Kenya's Marion Serenge (centre) in action when the Junior Starlets played against North Korea during their Fifa Under-17 Women's World Cup match at the Cibao Stadium in Santiago, Dominican Republic on October 20, 2024.
What you need to know:
- From next year, Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup will be an annual event featuring 24 nations (up from 16) until 2029, and the five editions will be hosted by Morocco. Next year, the tournament will run from October 16 to November 3.
Kenya Under-17 women’s football team, Junior Starlets, is sure to positively impact the growth of women’s football in the country in the coming years.
In August, Junior Starlets, coached by Mildred Cheche, became the first Kenyan football team to compete in a Fifa World Cup tournament just three months after Cheche’s appointment. Cheche, who was appointed in April by the previous Football Kenya Federation (FKF) regime, quickly set the team on the path to qualification for the 2024 Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup, which was held in the Dominican Republic.
Initially uncertain whether she was fit for the job, FKF put the 35-year-old on an undisclosed contract in April during the qualifiers, making her the second female coach of a national women’s team in Kenya after Beldine Odemba who coaches the senior women’s team Harambee Starlets.
In June, Junior Starlets qualified for the World Cup after defeating Burundi 5-0 on aggregate in the fourth round of qualifiers. They won the first leg 3-0 on June 8 at Abebe Bikila Stadium in Ethiopia with goals from midfielder Lorna Faith, winger Marion Serenge and super substitute Susan Akoth. In the return leg played at Ulinzi Sports Complex, Nairobi, on June 16, Kenya won 2-0, Serenge and striker Valerie Nekesa supplying the goals. The match attracted 10,000 fans, the highest ever by a women’s team in Kenya.
“In the qualifiers, we were all under pressure, but once we stepped onto the pitch, we knew we would win,” Cheche told Nation Sport in the Dominican Republic, where Kenya was pooled in a tough Group ‘C’ featuring defending champions North Korea who went on to retain the trophy; 2024 semi-finalists England; and 2018 finalists Mexico.
Kenya finished third in the group with three points, having lost 2-0 to England, 3-0 to North Korea, and beating Mexico 2-1 with goals from Nekesa (17th minute), and Faith (35th). Mexico scored the consolation via a penalty in the 87th minute. Faith was voted Player of the Match. Serenge was named the fourth fastest player in the tournament with a speed of 30.42 kilometres per hour.
Post-tournament, Faith and Serenge attracted the interest of scouts from the USA and Spain with their jaw-dropping performances.
“Four players caught the eye of top teams like the Chicago Red Stars and Atletico Madrid Academy, with scouts promising to stay in touch,” Cheche said days later.
“I won’t discuss further details. The scouts were present during our match against Mexico.”
Last week, Serenge told the Nation, “The scouts were waiting for some of us players to complete our Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) last month. I desire to play college football and I won’t mind taking the offer.”
According to the draw done on December 12 at the Confederation of African Football’s (Caf’s) headquarters in Cairo, Junior Starlets will join the qualifiers of the 2025 Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup in the second round. The team got a bye in the first round following their participation in the 2024 World Cup. Zambia and Nigeria also got a bye to the second round. Burundi also qualified for the second round as the highest-ranked non-qualifying team from the previous rounds. Kenyan will face the winner of the match between Namibia and Uganda in the second round of the qualifiers between March 14 and 16 next year.
Namibia and Uganda, who failed to qualify for the 2024 World Cup, will clash on their first leg in Namibia from January 10 to 12, with the return leg set for Uganda between January 17 and 19.
Should Kenya qualify for the third round, Junior Starlets will play the winner of the match between Egypt and Cameroon, or Zimbabwe, or Ethiopia in the final round of the qualifiers.
From next year, Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup will be an annual event featuring 24 nations (up from 16) until 2029, and the five editions will be hosted by Morocco. Next year, the tournament will run from October 16 to November 3.
The senior women’s team, Harambee Starlets, will begin their quest for a second appearance at the Women’s Afcon when they play Tunisia in the qualifiers of the 2026 tournament, which will be held in Morocco. Kenya last played in Wafcon in 2016. The first round of qualifiers will run from February 17 to 26, with the second running from October 20 to 28.
Should Kenya advance to the next round, they will face the winner of the match between Niger and Gambia. Currently ranked 149th globally, Kenya will miss the delayed 2024 games, which will be held in 2025 tournament, after being eliminated by Botswana who beat them 2-1 on aggregate in the last round.
Harambee Starlets rose two places to 149th in global ranking on December 14, while Uganda also leaped to 148th from 150th. Tanzania remained 145th, while Ethiopia is 124th. The improvement came after the Kenya’s activity during Fifa international breaks.
In October, Starlets participated in the Pink Ladies Cup in Turkey alongside the hosts, Chinese Taipei, Russia, and the Philippines. They lost 1-0 to Taipei, fell 4-0 to Russia, and won 4-1 against the Philippines to exit in the group stages. The competition was important for integration into the senior squad for nine new players, three from the youth teams.
Last month, Starlets played an international friendly against Morocco Under-23 women’s team in Sale, Morocco, at Mohammed VI Football Complex Stadium. Kenya rallied from behind to draw the first match 2-2, but won the second 5-0.
“The more time the players spend together, the better they get to understand the coaching philosophy in preparation for international competitions,” coach Odemba said after the second match.
Besides coaching Harambee Starlets, Odemba will be in charge of Kenya Under-20 team Rising Starlets, which is hoping to make a maiden appearance at the World Cup. They will face Ethiopia in the second round of the 2026 Fifa Under-20 Women's World Cup qualifiers after getting a bye in the first round. The team failed to qualify for the tournament held in Colombia in August after being eliminated by Cameroon in the third round losing 3-2 on aggregate.
Elsewhere, Football Kenya Federation Women Premier League champions, Kenya Police Bullets, reached the final of the Cecafa region qualifiers of 2024 Caf Women’s Champions League. Bullets did not qualify for the continental competition.
To qualify for the tournament, Bullets finished the league unbeaten with 49 points from 19 matches, winning 15 and drawing four. They dethroned former champions Vihiga Queens, who placed second with 41 points. Vihiga lost only one match, a 1-0 defeat to Bullets at Police Sacco Stadium in Nairobi in February, which cost them the title.
The team entered the competition as underdogs, and went all the way to the final match, which they lost 1-0 to champions Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) at Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa on August 29.
To reach the final, Bullets defeated 2022 champions Simba Queens of Tanzania 2-1.
Coached by Birhanu Gizaw Heye, CBE finished on top of Group 'A' with nine points after winning three matches against Bullets (2-1), Yei Joints of South Sudan (4-0), and against Rayon Sports (3-2).
Bullets finished second in the group with four points, having beaten Rayon Sport 1-0, drawing 0-0 with Yei Joints, and losing 2-1 to CBE.
Bullets custodian, Annedy Kundu, was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament, and Odemba was coach of the tournament.
