Confident Junior Starlets target Uganda rout in World Cup qualifier

Kenya secured a valuable 1-1 draw against Uganda in the first leg of the second-round qualifier at the FUFA Stadium in Kampala last Friday, leaving the tie finely balanced ahead of the decisive clash.

Adhiambo scored Kenya’s equaliser after Uganda had taken an early lead through Shadia Nabirye in the 11th minute of the East African derby.

The striker said the result gave the team confidence heading into the second leg.

“Uganda wanted maximum points at home, but we fought hard for the draw,” said Adhiambo. “We now understand their strengths and weaknesses, which we will use to our advantage in the second leg.”

“I also noticed they rely a lot on speed, and that is something we must handle well if we want to score more goals and win comfortably. I am confident we will qualify for the World Cup.”

Defender Pauline Namisi echoed her teammate’s confidence, saying the squad had worked on correcting mistakes from the first leg.

“We have trained well under coach Mildred Cheche and improved on the areas that let us down in Kampala,” said Namisi. “I urge fans to turn up in large numbers at Nyayo Stadium to support us. We will not disappoint them.”

Kenya will be aiming to secure a place in the final qualifying round, while Uganda’s Teen Cranes will be seeking revenge after last year’s heavy defeat to the Junior Starlets.

Uganda suffered a 5-0 aggregate loss to Kenya during the second round of the previous qualification campaign.

Coach Mildred Cheche is also expected to welcome back defender Rose Nangila and midfielder Lindey Weey Atieno, who have both recovered from injuries.

Nangila underwent surgery after suffering an injury during a friendly match, while Atieno had been sidelined with a waist injury.

Atieno scored in Kenya’s earlier 2-1 victory over Namibia in the qualifiers.

The winner on aggregate will face either Tanzania or South Africa in the final qualification round.

The 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will be held in Morocco from 17 October to 8 November, with Kenya hoping to secure a second consecutive appearance after making their tournament debut in the Dominican Republic in 2024.