Cecafa: Junior Starlets top Group A with Tanzania draw

Kenya’s Junior Starlets staged a dramatic, last-minute comeback to finish at the top of Group A of the CECAFA U-17 Women's Championship following a thrilling 1-1 draw against the hosts Tanzania on Wednesday.

The highly anticipated encounter between the two regional rivals lived up to expectations, delivering high stakes, missed opportunities, and late-game moments.

Kenya had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock early in the first half when they were awarded a penalty in the 24th minute, but Brenda Achieng’s spot-kick was brilliantly saved by the Tanzanian goalkeeper, denying the Starlets an early advantage.

Capitalising on that momentum shift, the hosts began to assert themselves and broke the deadlock in the 38th minute when Bahati Kizanguzi found the back of the net to give Tanzania a 1-0 lead heading into the break.

The second half saw a resilient Kenyan side throw everything forward in search of an equalizer, but the Tanzanian defence held firm as the clock ticked down into stoppage time.

Just when it seemed the hosts would walk away with maximum points, Kenya's relentless pressure paid off in the 94th minute. Jael Simiyu rose highest to meet a desperate cross, guiding a stunning header past the Tanzanian custodian to rescue a vital point for the Junior Starlets deep into injury time.

The breath taking 1-1 finish ensured that Kenya remained undefeated in the group stage, having won two and drawn one of their three matches.

With both teams finishing level on seven points, Nanjala's late equalizer proved to be the defining moment of the group phase, allowing Kenya to secure the top spot in Group A courtesy of a superior goal difference.

The Junior Starlets enjoyed an incredibly dominant group campaign, plundering a staggering 23 goals while conceding just once across their three fixtures, compared to Tanzania's 15 goals scored.

By clinching the summit of Group A, the undefeated Mildred Cheche-coached youngsters successfully booked their ticket to the semi-finals, where they are now scheduled to face the runners-up from Group B as they continue their pursuit of regional glory.