Junior Starlets pitch camp ahead of U-17 WCQ double against Uganda

Starlets bundled out Namibia 7-1 in aggregate in the first round to proceed to the second round with the first leg scheduled for May 22 at FUFA Stadium in Kabaka, Uganda and the return fixture set for May 30 at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.

On Monday, May 4, head coach Mildred Cheche named a 30-player provisional squad for the two-legged qualifier.

Florence Mboya, Daisy Adongo, Jael Nanjala, Grace Wangari, Martha Musimbi, Rochelle Faith and Khadija Furaha are the only additions to the previous final squad.

The squad however is expected to be trimmed to 23 for the Fainal squad of the tie.

"It will be a very tough match but we will prepare well for it. I believe in my players, they are very talented and ready to face the challenge. The dream is qualify again for the World Cup" Said coach Cheche.

To get to this stage, Uganda ‘Teens Canes” beat Zimbabwe 4-1 in second leg at Kampala following a 2-0 away results in Harare, for a 6-1 aggregate.

The two East African sides met last year, with Kenya winning 5–0 on aggregate to reach the final round, where they were eliminated by Cameroon.

The qualification process consists of three rounds of home-and-away matches. Thirty teams entered the first round, with Nigeria exempted based on past performances.

Fifteen winners will advance to the second round, where they will join Nigeria. The 16 teams will then compete for eight spots in the third round.

The remaining eight teams will face off in four two-legged ties, with the winners qualifying for the tournament to be held in Morocco from October 17 to November 7 2026.

The tournament is part of a series of annual, expanded 24-team editions held in Morocco from 2025 to 2029.

Junior Starlets, are eying second consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance after a historic debut in the 2024 tournament in the Dominican Republic.