Kenya National Women’s Under-17 head coach Mildred Cheche (pictured) has spoken highly of the Junior Starlets’ participation in the Fifa U-17 World Cup in the Dominican Republic, beginning mid-October.

Coach Cheche, who made history as the first-ever tactician to lead a Kenyan team to a global football showcase, emphasized that the qualification is significant for inspiring more girls to play football in the country.

The team battled tough opposition from Ethiopia and Burundi to secure this historic accomplishment, and now these buzzing young players will rub shoulders with elite countries in the sport at the 2024 Fifa U-17 World Cup.

“For us, featuring in the World Cup for the first time signifies hope for everyone involved, especially for the future generation of women footballers,” Cheche remarked with a grin.

“Participating in this World Cup is a great motivation for us. Competing against teams that have qualified before presents a significant challenge, and as a team and a country, we are ready to fly our flag high,” she added.

The impressive Junior Starlets will conclude their pre-World Cup friendly matches today against the Dominican Republic in the city of Santo Domingo.

This match will mark the end of a series of test games for the Mildred Cheche-led side as they prepare for their debut at the Fifa U-17 Women’s World Cup, slated for October 16 to November 3.

They won two and drew one of their previous three friendly matches in Spain last week, ruthlessly defeating Valencia FC 4-1 in the opener and drawing 1-1 against European giants Portugal.

The Junior Starlets again registered another impressive win against the Spanish side Intercity, whom they thrashed 4-1.

“The test matches were really beneficial for the team. Playing against European clubs and Portugal was crucial for assessing our current level and identifying areas for improvement. The mood in the camp is positive, and all the players are excited for the World Cup and ready for the matches. They have adapted well to the climatic conditions here, which are a bit hotter than Nairobi, but they are up to the task,” Cheche noted.

Kenya is in Group C of the tournament alongside two-time winners North Korea, England and Mexico, while other African representatives Nigeria and Zambia are in Group A and Group D, respectively.

Kenya will begin its quest for glory against England on October 18 at the Estadio Cibao in Santiago de los Caballeros.