Junior Starlets dominate Ethiopia and move closer to the U17 World Cup

Junior Starlets tactician Mildred Cheche has credited an attacking mentality for their 3-0 win over Ethiopia in the third leg of the U-17 World Cup qualifiers at the Ulinzi Sports Complex on Sunday.

The teams had played out a 0-0 draw in the return match at the Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Skipper Elizabeth Ochaka broke the deadlock in the 44th minute, heading in a corner.

Velma Awuor doubled the lead in the 55th before Lornah Faith sealed the win in the 70th minute.

This victory brings Kenya closer to the U-17 World Cup that will take place in the Dominican Republic from October 16 to November 3.

Cheche credited the team’s aggressive approach to their dominant performance.

“We took the game to them from the start,” Cheche said. “They expected us to sit back, just like in the first leg, but our attacking strategy paid off.”

Cheche praised midfielder Rebecca Odato for her excellent performance.

“In the first leg her self-confidence was low. The training made her more confident and she was one of our standout players today,” she said.

“The fans played a crucial role. Their support gave the girls tremendous morale. We are extremely grateful.”

Starlets will take on Burundi in the fourth and final qualifying match in June, aiming to make history as the first Kenyan team to play in a FIFA World Cup.

Burundi demonstrated their prowess with a stunning 24-0 win over Djibouti in their third leg qualifying match.

Cheche recognized the Burundian threat. “Burundi is formidable. We have met them before and they came out on top,” the coach said.

Careful planning will be crucial.

“We need thorough analysis and preparation. We return to training to strategize for this crucial match. We had a plan to beat Ethiopia and we will have that before we play Burundi,” she noted.

Cheche plans to use the upcoming school games to scout new talent.

“We have strong ties with schools. The school games in June will be a perfect platform to scout new players,” she noted.

Ethiopian coach Rawda Dessye praised Kenya for their spirited performance.

“Kenya’s eagerness and fighting spirit were decisive. It was a tough match for us,” she admitted, attributing her team’s defeat to a lack of composure.

“Our players were tense and did not perform as expected.”

She added: “We want Kenya to represent East Africa at the World Cup.”