History written as Kenya’s Junior Starlets smash Burundi to qualify for FIFA U17 World Cup
The Kenyan girls went into the return leg fixture having won the first leg played at Abebe Bikila Stadium in Ethiopia 3-0 and they knew a draw was enough to seal their place in the global tournament scheduled for the Dominican Republic from October 16th to November 3rd.
In the return leg, the Junior Starlets continued from where they left off as they scored two first-half goals courtesy of Marion Serenge and Valerie Nekesa to win the home tie 2-0.
Kenya finished off Burundi in the first half
Junior Starlets head coach Mildred Cheche made three changes to the starting XI that won 3-0 away, Valerie Nekesa returned to the starting lineup, replacing Quinter Adhiambo, while Susan Akoth took over from Halima Imbachi in midfield and Lindey Weey dropped to the bench. Velma Abwire kept her place in goal, with the defense revolving around captain Elizabeth Ochaka, alongside Christine Adhiambo, Kimberly Akinyi, and Lorine Ilavonga.
The midfield featured Velma Awuor, Susan Akoth, Rebecca Odato, and Lorna Faith while the attacking line was spearheaded by Marion Serenge and Valerie Nekesa.
Cheered on by a huge crowd that turned up to be part of the historic moment, the Junior Starlets looked the better side in the opening exchanges and they should have taken an early lead with only five minutes played when Nekesa played Serenge through in goal but the latter’s weak effort was saved by Burundian goalkeeper Claira Nshirimimana.
However, in the 17th minute, Kenya took a deserved lead when Serenge found herself unmarked inside the Burundi danger zone to slot the ball into an empty net. Burundi nearly pulled themselves level when Chacheline Hakimana found space but she took time to release the ball allowing defender Ochaka to clear the danger.
Kenya then doubled their lead when Nekesa latched onto a cross from Serenge to sneak it past Nshirimimana and make it 2-0 before the half-time break.
It was an all Kenyan affair in the second half, and they should have scored a third when Nekesa, who was a thorn in the side of Burundi defenders, set up Ochaka with a looping ball. The latter’s final effort could not trouble the Burundi goalie.
Though Burundi looked to threaten in the closing stages, Kenya held on to win the tie. Kenya coach Cheche was lost for words but praised her charges for sealing off the ticket to the global tournament.
“It was not an easy journey when we started it after our first match I told the girls we can do it, let us keep our heads high and stay focused, it is possible, so we kept pushing and after beating Ethiopia, I told them we are almost,” Cheche told Flashscore.
With most of the players in her squad set to sit their Kenya Certificate of School Education (KCSE) examinations during the period of the World Cup in October, Cheche called on the government to intervene and help the players have special exams.
“For the form four students, we will try to engage with both the Ministry of Sports and Ministry of Education to see if they can attend the World Cup and have special exams,” added Cheche.
Team captain Ochaka told Flashscore: “We give glory to God, it was a journey we started not knowing if we would reach here, but we were determined to qualify and have achieved it, I thank all the fans, who turned up for the support, their attendance pushed us to the limit.”
What did Kenyans say after the historic win?
Former Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Sam Nyamweya, who attended the game, hailed the junior girls for making history. Kenya's men's team has never qualified for the World Cup and in the current qualifiers, they are lying fifth in a group of six teams led by African champions Ivory Coast.
“The Junior Starlets have now made history as the first Kenyan team of the nation’s football to participate in a world topmost football competition,” an elated Nyamweya told Flashscore.
“As a pioneer leader in the history of women's football that I introduced during my tenure as football president, I look back with profound gratitude.”
Nyamweya added: “The dream and mentorship that I had envisioned is bearing fruit. I congratulate the team and look forward to the success of the team at the World Cup. As I have always stated Kenya is a rich football nation with talent that must continually be nurtured.”
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba attributed the team’s success to the Talanta Hela initiative, the Kenya Academy of Sports, and a coordinated effort between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Sports.
“If you invest in talent development programs, these are the fruits you will get,” said Namwamba. “We will now give every resource towards the team to make sure they perform well at the World Cup, they will not be participants but serious contenders for the trophy.”
Who else has qualified for the tournament?
Kenya joined Zambia and Nigeria, who qualified on Friday and Saturday respectively. The Copper Princesses qualified after a 3-1 aggregate win against Morocco.
Zambia won the first leg 3-1 away before returning home to secure a 0-0 draw. On the other hand, Nigeria’s Flamingoes qualified after a 6-1 aggregate win against Liberia.
