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Kenyan U-17 and U-20 teams face tricky opponents in Fifa Women’s World Cup qualifiers
Junior Starlets coach Mildred Cheche(in red) training with team at Nyayo National Stadium on April 19, 2025, ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Cameroon.
Kenyan teams face tricky opponents in the next phase of qualifiers for 2026 Under-17 Fifa Women’s World Cup, and the 2026 Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup.
Kenya will begin her quest for a place in 2026 Under-17 Fifa Women’s World Cup by playing Namibia over two legs in April.
The Junior Starlets will play Namibia in the first round away between April 10-12, then host the southern African nation in Nairobi for the return leg between April 17-19.
The winner of the two-leg fixture will advance to the second round, where they will face the winner of the fixture between Zimbabwe and Uganda in the first leg between May 22 and 24, and the second leg between May 29 and 31.
A total of 31 countries will compete in the qualifiers for a place in the 2026 Under-17 Fifa World Cup, to be hosted by Morocco in October and November. Official dates are yet to be announced for the tournament, which will feature 24 teams.
Starlets, coached by Mildred Cheche, made history in 2024 by becoming the first Kenyan football team to qualify for the World Cup in any category. The tournament was held in the Dominican Republic.
Junior Starlets coach Mildred Cheche gestures from the touchline during the Fifa Under 17 World Cup qualifier between Kenya and Cameroon at Nyayo National Stadium on April 20, 2025.
Last year, Kenya was eliminated in the third round of the qualifiers by Cameroon, who eventually qualified for the global showpiece. Kenya had been given a bye to the second round of qualifiers, where they defeated Uganda 5-0 on aggregate, but lost 3-1 to Cameroon in the final round.
Morocco will host the Under-17 Fifa Women’s World Cup for five consecutive years, from 2025 to 2029.
On the other hand, the Kenya Under-20 women’s team, Rising Starlets, play Tanzania in February in the third round of the qualifiers for 2026 Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup. They will host Tanzania in Nairobi between February 6 and 8, before traveling to Tanzania for the return leg scheduled to be played between February 12 and 14.
Kenya got a bye in the first round, and eliminated Ethiopia on 5-1 aggregate in the second round last September. Should Kenya beat Tanzania on aggregate, they will advance to the fourth and final round, where they will face the winner of the match between Cameroon and Botswana.
The 2026 Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup will be held in Poland from September 5 to 17.
