FIFA U17 Women's World Cup: Junior Starlets captain makes humble plea to fans ahead of crucial return leg against Uganda
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Kenya's women's national U-17 football team Junior Starlets.

FIFA U17 Women's World Cup: Junior Starlets captain makes humble plea to fans ahead of crucial return leg against Uganda

Evans Ousuru 06:23 - 10.03.2025

Junior Starlets welcome Uganda to Nairobi in the second leg of the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup qualifiers. Captain Halima Imbachi explainss one important thing kenyan fans ought to do.

Junior Starlets captain Halima Imbachi has challenged Kenyan fans to come in their large numbers to offer support to the team when they settle scores with Uganda.

The Junior Starlets are set to face their neighbours on March 16 in the return leg of the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup qualifiers, after taking a slight advantage in the first leg.

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The Mildred Cheche coached side made light work of the Teen Cranes at the Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo in Uganda on Friday, courtesy of a 2-0 first half victory, with Edinah Nasipwondi opening the scoring before Joan Ogola doubled the lead.

Although Kenya have the advantage heading into the Nairobi fixture, Imbachi said nothing has been achieved yet and three points on home soil would guarantee a place in the final round of the qualifiers against likely opponents Cameroon. 

"Winning an away game is never easy, but we expected a positive result. Now, we need our families, fellow Kenyans, and fans to rally behind us for the second leg because we want nothing less than three points," Imbachi told Citizen Digital.

On her part, coach Cheche expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance but emphasized the need for further improvements ahead of the return leg. "The game was tough, but the girls put in a great effort to secure the win away from home. We had good preparation, and even for the new players in the squad, it didn’t take long for them to adapt. The second leg at home will be equally challenging," she said.

Cheche, who guided the team to their first ever appearance at the World Cup last year in the Dominican Republic, said refining the team's attack is a key area they will work on in training. "Uganda will come in desperate for three points. We need to fine-tune our attacking play and strengthen our defense," Cheche stated.

If Kenya advances, they will face the winner between Cameroon and Ethiopia in the next round. The 2026 edition o the competition will be held in Africa for the first time. Morocco will host the biennial global competition.