Kenya’s Junior Starlets made history yesterday by reaching the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the first time, after a commanding 4-0 win over Samoa in their final Group E match in Morocco on Sunday.
The emphatic win at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Salé secured Kenya a place in the knockout stage as one of the four best third-placed teams, marking a significant milestone for the country’s football on the global stage.
Mildred Cheche’s charges went into the decisive fixture knowing that only a convincing victory could keep their hopes alive after opening the tournament with defeats to China and the United States.
They responded with their most impressive performance of the competition, with Mwanakombo Bakari scoring twice while Brenda Awuor and Gaudancia Maloba also found the net.
Bakari gave Kenya the perfect start, opening the scoring in the fourth minute after the Junior Starlets put the Samoan defence under early pressure.
The early goal settled the Kenyans, who kept pushing for more to strengthen their qualification hopes.
Samoa resisted for much of the first half, but Kenya found the breakthrough again just before the interval when Awuor struck in the 44th minute to give the East Africans a 2-0 lead at half-time.
The Junior Starlets returned from the break determined to finish the job, with Maloba extending their advantage in the 62nd minute before Bakari struck again two minutes later to complete her brace and put Kenya firmly in control.
The four-goal margin proved decisive in the battle for the remaining knockout places, with Kenya securing the final available spot among the best third-placed teams.
The victory came after a difficult start to the tournament, with Kenya losing 3-0 to China before suffering a 6-1 defeat against the United States in their opening two matches.
Lindey Atieno scored Kenya’s consolation goal against the Americans, but the team needed a much stronger response against Samoa to remain in contention.
That response delivered a historic outcome, making the Junior Starlets the first Kenyan team to advance beyond the group stage at a FIFA World Cup.
Their progress was confirmed after China defeated the United States 3-2 in the other Group E fixture, with the results across the tournament determining the final standings among the third-placed teams.
Kenya had made their World Cup debut at the 2024 edition in the Dominican Republic, where they exited in the group stage despite recording a 2-1 victory over Mexico in their final match. The expanded 24-team competition features six groups, with the top two teams in each group qualifying automatically for the Round of 16 alongside the four best third-placed sides.
The Junior Starlets will now face a formidable challenge against Japan in the Round of 16 after the Asian side topped Group D with a perfect record of three victories, scoring nine goals without conceding.
The match is scheduled for Thursday, October 29, at the Women's Football Complex in Morocco.