'A blessing from God': Coach Cheche reflects on Junior Starlets historic World Cup qualification
Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 16.06.24. | 22:12
Kenya will be joined by Nigeria and Zambia in the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup set for The Dominican Republic
At the end of a historic moment for Junior Starlets and the country as a whole, head coach Mildred Cheche, the engineer of the unthinkable, shared her major lesson and advise.
"Everything is possible," she said when asked what a historic qualification to the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup would symbolize.
Needing a decent outing against East African rivals Burundi, the Kenya U17 Women's team did more than required on Sunday, winning 2-0 on home soil to add to their 3-0 victory on the road and make it a 5-0 annihilation on aggregate.
Two first-half strikes from Marion Serenge and Valerie Nekesa were enough to seal the celebratory win, which meant that for the first time in Kenya's footballing history, one of their own was heading to a global showpiece. The World Cup.
Barely a year into her job, the spotlight was on Cheche, who summed up the overriding feeling infront of a packed media room.
"This is such a big moment for us, the players and the country," she said.
"Internally, this is a blessing from God. It's the first time we are experiencing such, and it goes ahead to motivate us more heading into the world cup."
To call it a seamless run to the global scene would be an understatement, as the Starlets got past every opposition ahead of them largely unscathed.
First was a bye against DR Congo in the second round, then a 3-0 triumph over Ethiopia, before the Burundi annihilation when it mattered the most.
All through, despite the notable fact that they didn't concede a goal, the Junior Starlets displayed a significant amount of poise, rarely seen in Kenyan football.
On the team, Cheche said: "We all come from different backgrounds. Most of us are spiritual, always believing in God and always motivating each other.
"The players had everything to fight for to get to this platform. They've never qualified for anything, and so that's what drives them the most."
On such occasions, living in the moment feels safer than projecting ahead.
But with World Cup being held later this year (October 16 - November 3) at the Dominican Republic, Cheche hinted at the team's attitude.
"We need to plan better, have better tactical strategies, and I believe we will be there to compete, and not just to participate," she concluded.
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