When Kenya play Namibia on Sunday in the first round qualifiers of the 2026 Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup, one player is expected to feature prominently.
Midfielder Lindey Weey Atieno, who is the only surviving member of Kenya’s Junior Starlets team that competed at the 2024 Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup held in the Dominican Republic, is expected to deploy her experience when the team plays Namibia in the first leg at Windhoek Unam Stadium in Namibia this Sunday.
Junior Starlets during a training session at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on April 19, 2025 ahead of their U-17 World Cup qualifier against Cameroon.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
Junior Starlets will host the return leg in Nairobi six days later at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi.
Atieno, 16, is a Grade 10 student at Madira Girls High School in Vihiga County. She also plays for Soccer Assassins in the Football Kenya Federation Women's Premier League (FKF-WPL).
Except for Atieno, all the members of the Kenyan squad who competed at the 2024 Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup have either made the transition to the Kenya Under-20 team Rising Starlets or the senior Harambee Starlets team.
On Friday, coach Mildred Cheche named her in Kenya’s final 23-player squad that will compete in the qualifiers from Sunday.
Junior Starlets coach Mildred Cheche.
Photo credit: Pool
“The key factors for selection to the team were technical and tactical ability. This is a more aggressive team because the players we’ve recruited are hungry to perform and win,” Coach Cheche said.
On Friday, Cheche retained the bulk of her squad from the previous qualifier campaigns, including assistant captain Brenda Awuor, Mwanakombo Bakari, Grace Mumo, Faith Boke, Brenda Achieng, and Fleviah Khatenje.
Midfielder Bevarline Awuor, who played in the Kenyan squad for the 2026 Under-20 Fifa World Cup qualifier match against Ethiopia, will captain the team. Tabitha Wambui also returns to the national team set-up. She has previously played for the Kenya Under-15 team.
Last month, coach Cheche called up a provisional squad of 30 players, which was whittled down to 23. The team has been training at Kasarani Annex Stadium in Nairobi for the past two weeks after arriving in camp at Stadion in Nairobi.
The aggregate winner of the match will automatically dvance to the second round, and will play the winner of the match between Uganda and Zimbabwe. The winner of the encounter will progress to the final qualifying round.
Junior Starlets during a training session at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on April 19, 2025 ahead of their U-17 World Cup qualifier against Cameroon.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
North Korea is the defending champion, having won its fourth title last year.
Kenya failed to qualify for last year’s edition of the global tournament after losing 3-1 on aggregate to Cameroon in the third and final qualifying round.
Mitshel Ng’ono, Martha Wekhomba, Vallary Achieng
Pauline Namisi, Sheila Atieno, Faith Boke, Idah Matara, Grace Mumo, Rose Nangila, Brenda Awuor
Bevarline Awuor, Gaudancia Maloba, Mwanakombo Bakari, Lindey Weey Atieno, Beryl Awuor, Fleviah Khatenje, Noela Akuku
Brenda Achieng, Patience Waithera, Emilly Adhiambo, Elizabeth Alizeba, Ivy Atieno, Tabitha Wambui
