By Caleb Muoti
The national under-17 women’s football team, Junior Starlets, has left the country for Cameroon ahead of the second and final leg of their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualification campaign against the Cameroonian side.
Before their departure, Sports Secretary Elijah Mwangi encouraged the team and assured them of the government’s full support.
“The team is a determined side and by reaching this level, they have shown resilience and hard work,” Mwangi said.
“As the Ministry of Sports, we assure the team of our full support and wish them all the best as they head to Cameroon for this crucial fixture.”
The team remains hopeful of overturning a narrow 1-0 loss from the first leg played in Nairobi. Junior Starlets captain Halima Imbachi expressed confidence ahead of the return match.
“I would like to apologise for our loss in the first leg on home soil,” she said. “We are going into the second leg full of confidence and determination. We assure Kenyans that we will give our best to emerge victorious.”
A 2-0 win for the Junior Starlets would secure them a spot in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the second consecutive time, building on their historic debut appearance last year. The team is aiming to make history once again and continue flying the Kenyan flag high on the global stage.