Cheche confident as Starlets finalise preps for Cranes rematch

Junior Starlets head coach Mildred Cheche is confident of making it to the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup for the second time, ahead of their encounter with Uganda’s Teen Cranes on Saturday.

Speaking during the team’s final training session at Nyayo Stadium where the matc will be held, Cheche assured fans that the squad is tactically and mentally prepared to secure a historic ticket to the global showpiece.

She is keen on building on the first leg’s 1-1 draw registered in Kampala a week ago.

"The team is fully prepared," Coach Cheche stated. "We had several areas to improve and we’ve done that, so we are hoping for the best tomorrow. All the players are mentally prepared because playing at home for them is an advantage, and playing with their home fans, with the support from the home fans, I think it is so much better for them unlike playing away. So most of them mentally are preparr465ed, they are charged to give a good performance tomorrow," averred Cheche.

Cheche emphasised that the players are highly motivated by the prospect of playing in front of a passionate home crowd.

"The team is fully fit, we don’t have injuries. Most of the players who were sick and those who struggled with minor injuries are fully fit for the match. So we are hoping that tomorrow they give us a good performance," Cheche reassured.

While keeping her tactical adjustments close to her chest, Cheche hinted at a structural variation tailored for a home victory.

"We cannot clearly define the approach tomorrow because it’s part of our secret weapon, so we cannot say it out loud," she noted.

"But the team is fully prepared to encounter all situations that might occur on the pitch. Of course, it won’t be the same as we played in Uganda because we are playing at home, so it will be very different from how we played in Uganda."

Midfielder Mwanakombo Bakari noted that the team has adapted well back to the local conditions after battling with high humidity in Kampala. She emphasized that they are all completely motivated by the target they set out from day one.

"Since we got to camp, preparation has been good," Bakari said. "We have been working hard and we have a target to meet, especially after participating in the last World Cup. We need to work extra hard to achieve the feat again. Our ambition is to qualify for the World Cup and we won't underestimate our opponents at all."

Captain Bervaline Awuor echoed her coach’s sentiments, rallying football enthusiasts to turn up in large numbers to push the team over the finish line.

"First of all, I thank God for giving us another chance," Captain Awuor expressed. "For tomorrow's game we are ready, we have trained very well. We are ready and we are positive. To the fans, we will need that support very much because we are at home too.

“And, we assure them that we will do our very best to walk away with the points at home. They should show up in large numbers since we are at home, they must come support us and we will be very proud to see them. That crowd will at least give us courage."

The spirit is high as the aggregate winner of this decisive rematch will advance to the final round of the qualifiers.

The match is scheduled to kick off this Saturday at 3:00PM  at the Nyayo National Stadium.