Rising Starlets head coach Jackline Juma has hailed her charges after trashing Ethiopia 4:0 in the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Qualifier fixture played at the Ulinzi Sports Complex on Sunday, September 28, 2025, to advance to the third round of the competition’s qualifiers with a 5-1 aggregate.

In her post-match remarks, Juma also revealed the tactical game plan that saw the Kenyan side reign supreme against the visiting team after salvaging a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture played a week ago in Ethiopia. Jackline Juma noted that the plan was to take the early lead, press the opponent high and maintain the ball possession, a tactical masterplan that bore fruit for the Rising Starlets before the home crowd.

The tactician also touched on the challenges that her team faced in Ethiopia that led them to drop two vital points. ”We faced challenges in our away fixture because the pitch was flooded, so at home we decided to change our game plan, keep possession of the ball, counter-press, because Ethiopia are good on the ball,” Juma said.

Tactical masterplan

”We also decided to take the early lead, aiming for the first ten minutes. We knew that we would get a goal because in Ethiopia, our first goal came in the 36th second. We really wanted to press them high and get the early goals,” she added.

Valerie Nekesa opened the scoring as early as the 4th minute, before Elizabeth Mideva doubled the lead in the 16th. Fasila Adhiambo struck in the 28th minute to make it three, and Mideva returned in the second half to complete her brace in the 67th minute.

In the first leg, played a week earlier on September 21, 2025, at the Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa, it was also Mideva who found the net to secure a vital 1-1 away draw. She now stands as Kenya’s top scorer in the qualifiers with three goals to her name.

The victory sets up an East African derby in the third round, with Kenya facing Tanzania. Starlets will host the first leg before travelling away for the return fixture, with both matches scheduled for February 2026.

The Rising Starlets will now shift their focus to preparations for this crucial clash as they continue their pursuit of a historic ticket to the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.