The Kenya U-17 Women’s National Team Training
The Kenya U-17 Women’s National Team, led by coach Mildred Cheche, is on the brink of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted in Morocco from 17 October to 7 November 2026.
The Junior Starlets took a major step towards qualification after defeating South Africa 2-0 in the first leg of the final qualifying round on 4 July 2026. They will now host South Africa in the return leg on Sunday, 12 July, at Nyayo National Stadium, carrying a two-goal advantage and enjoying home support.
A draw or a victory of any kind will be enough to see Kenya qualify for the tournament. Even a narrow one-goal defeat would still send the Junior Starlets through on aggregate, keeping alive their dream of returning to the global stage.
Faith Boke celebrating after scoring the first goal against South Africa
The players have expressed confidence ahead of their decisive second leg which will be played in kenya, promising to give their best and make the nation proud.
One of the best performers has been striker Brenda Achieng, who continues to impress with her goalscoring ability. She has now scored 23 goals for the Junior Starlets, including Kenya’s second goal in the 2-0 victory over South Africa. Faith Boke, a defender from Butere Girls High School, opened the scoring before Brenda Achieng sealed the important away win.
With qualification within reach, all eyes will be at Nyayo National Stadium as the Junior Starlets seek to book their place at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
Junior starlets made history back in 2024 when they became the country’s first-ever football team, men’s or women’s, to qualify for a FIFA World Cup which was held in Mexico. Coach Mildred Cheche is now aiming to guide another talented generation back to the world stage and cement Kenya’s growing reputation in women’s football.