FIFA U17 WWC: Brenda Achieng hat trick heroics fire Kenya U17 into next round

Kenya U-17 girls, the Junior Starlets, sealed passage to the second round of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers with a dominant 5-0 win over Namibia’s Baby Gladiators in the return leg played at Ulinzi Sports Complex on Saturday, 18 April.

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The emphatic result handed Kenya a 7-1 aggregate victory after their 2-1 first leg win in Windhoek, as Mildred Cheche’s side showed their intent with a ruthless display in front of goal.

Brenda Achieng delivered a standout performance with a brilliant hat trick, Emily Adhiambo added her name to the scoresheet, while substitute Elizabeth Opiyo put the icing on the cake with a late goal deep into added time.

Kenya will now face the winner between Zimbabwe and Uganda in the second round as they continue their push to return to the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup after featuring in the 2024 edition held in the Dominican Republic.

Match Report

From the first whistle, the Junior Starlets played with urgency and hunger, pressing high and stretching the Namibian defence in search of an early breakthrough.

Inside the second minute, a corner kick nearly unsettled Sylvia Tunga’s goal, setting the tone for what would be a one-sided contest.

Cheche’s charges dominated possession and territory in the opening stages. Captain Beverline Awuor Otieno came close in the fifth minute after turning her markers, but her final touch let her down as the ball drifted out of play.

Two minutes later, Faith Boke slipped a clean pass into the penalty area for Emily Adhiambo, but her effort narrowly missed the target as Kenya continued knocking with intent.

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In the 15th minute, Otieno’s long ball from midfield released Brenda Achieng into a one-on-one situation, but the assistant referee Tchedre Belaou raised the flag for offside before she could test Tunga.

Kenya’s pressure kept mounting. In the 20th minute, Iddah Akinyi found herself with a golden opportunity but struck straight at Tunga, who recovered well to deny the opener.

By the 28th-minute cooling break, Kenya were firmly in control, camped in Namibia’s half and dictating the tempo, though still searching for the breakthrough.

Moments later, Lindey Weey Atieno combined well with Emily before attempting an audacious strike from near the halfway line that drifted inches wide, drawing gasps from the crowd.

Namibia suffered a setback in the 41st minute when Grace Rehana went down injured and was stretchered off, with Khloe Teyanna coming on in her place.

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Tunga remained Namibia’s brightest spark, producing a series of interventions to keep her side in the contest.

In the 43rd minute, Emily Adhiambo thought she had finally broken the deadlock after reacting to a rebound from Mwanakombo Bakar’s powerful long-range strike, but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Kenya had one more chance before the break from a free kick, but Brenda’s effort sailed over the bar as the first half ended goalless despite the hosts’ dominance.

Second Half

The breakthrough finally arrived moments into the second half, and it came with authority. Achieng put Kenya ahead after a well-worked move, calmly finishing into the bottom corner after being picked out by Adhiambo.

Namibia responded with changes, introducing Nanami Uarije and Cody Garoes, but Kenya had found their rhythm.

Seven minutes later, Adhiambo doubled the lead in style, gliding past her marker before unleashing a shot from the edge of the box that looped high and dipped beautifully over Tunga into the net.

With momentum firmly on their side, Kenya continued to control proceedings. Gaudancia Maloba, who had come on for Iddah Akinyi, linked up well with Boke and Brenda as the trio stretched the Namibian defence.

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In the 70th minute, Brenda struck again to all but seal qualification. The Ugunja Township student initiated the move with Maloba, exchanged a neat one-two, then surged into the box before firing into the top left corner to complete her brace.

Cheche continued to rotate her squad, introducing Fleviah Khatenje for Lindey Weey, while later changes saw Elizabeth Opiyo and Patience Waithira enter the fray.

The substitutions injected fresh energy, with Mwende playing a key role in Kenya’s fourth goal.

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She won the ball in midfield and combined quickly with Maloba before squaring it into the box for Brenda, who calmly slotted it into the far corner to complete her hat trick.

Kenya were not done yet. Deep into added time, substitute Opiyo capped the performance with a fifth goal, finishing off a late attacking move to seal a 5-0 win on the day and a commanding 7-1 aggregate triumph.

At the final whistle, the Junior Starlets had turned dominance into a statement result, a performance full of confidence, precision and attacking intent that keeps their World Cup dream alive.