Cheche reveals calming half-time pep talk that powered Kenya U17 to FIFA World Cup
Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 13.07.26. | 20:11
Brenda Awuor’s 85th-minute penalty and Elizabeth Alizeba Opiyo’s 90th-minute goal ensured that Kenya bagged a 5-1 aggregate win
Junior Starlets head coach Mildred Cheche has disclosed the halftime pep talk, which engineered a comeback against South Africa, earning Kenya a ticket to the 2026 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup.
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The Kenya U17 women's football team staged a remarkable comeback after going down by a goal at half-time to secure a 3-1 win over Bantwana to cruise to the World Cup in style.
South Africa captain Katleho Malebana’s fifth-minute goal momentarily silenced the Nyayo Stadium crowd before Gaudencia Maloba restored parity in the 70th minute.
Brenda Awuor’s 85th-minute penalty and Elizabeth Alizeba Opiyo’s 90th-minute goal ensured that Kenya bagged a 5-1 aggregate win.
Having trailed at halftime, Kenyan fans were left anxious, with Cheche lifting the lid on how she managed to ignite the fire in her team.
“In the first half, the majority of players panicked and were nervous. We talked to them at halftime to remind them that we are at home and that even if they have never seen such a crowd, they should step up and be counted,” the coach said.
Cheche, who also guided the Junior Starlets to the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup held in the Dominican Republic, also took time to reflect on their qualification journey.
“It has been a good but difficult journey that ends in us qualifying for the World Cup for the second time in history.
The secret has been our belief in God from the beginning. We now embark on the World Cup, where we are targeting to get past the group stage,” she added.
For their glory, the team will be hosted at State House by President William Ruto on Tuesday, 14 July, even as they prepare for the World Cup, which will take place from Saturday, 17 October to Saturday, 7 November in Morocco.
