Junior Starlets’ assistant captain backs team to beat Cameroon in World Cup qualifiers

By , April 19, 2025

Kenya’s Junior Starlets will be back in action tomorrow when they host Cameroon in the first leg of the third round of the 2025 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers at Nyayo Stadium.

The Mildred Cheche-coached side head into the crucial fixture with an impressive six-match unbeaten run in the qualifiers, carrying high hopes of advancing further.

Junior Starlets, who broke the glass ceiling in Kenyan football last year by participating in the World Cup in the Dominican Republic, have begun another campaign in search of a second milestone. They thumped Uganda 5-0 on aggregate last month to advance.

Edinah Nasipwondi and Joan Ogola struck in Kampala for a 2-0 win in the first leg, before Patience Asiko and Brenda Achieng sealed the Teen Queens’ dominance with a scintillating 3-0 victory in front of home fans at Nyayo Stadium.

Assistant captain Lorine Ilavonga is unfazed by the threat posed by the visitors, noting that the experience gained from playing at the World Cup has given the team an edge.

“The moral in the camp is good.We are enjoying every step and good to on Sunday for another good show.We are not worried about anything since playing at the World Cup has boosted our confidence after amassing the needed experience.We are going in to the match with our eyes set on the world cup ticket,” Ilavonga told PD Wikendi.

Coach Cheche reiterated that the team is not under pressure heading into the tie. However, she acknowledged that the team must be sharp in all departments to overcome the challenge posed by the Central African side.

There are no injury concerns in the Kenyan camp, with forward Joan Ogola declared fit after recovering from a knock sustained during a recent friendly against Morocco.

The match is set to kick off at 3pm at Nyayo Stadium, a venue that has proven to be a fortress for the Junior Starlets.
Cameroon, led by coach Joseph Ndolo, arrived in Nairobi on Friday and had a training session at the stadium yesterday.

The Indomitable Lionesses have been in red-hot form, thrashing Egypt 6-0 in the first round and cruising past Ethiopia 6-2 on aggregate to book their place in the third round.

Cameroon missed out on the last edition of the U17 Women’s World Cup after falling 4-2 on aggregate to Uganda in the second round.

Namibian referee Victoria Shangula will officiate the match, assisted by Diana Chikotesha of Zambia and Olivia Amukuu of Namibia. Zambia’s Keke Gloria has been appointed as the reserve referee.

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