Junior Starlets brace up for Uganda challenge in crucial U17 World Cup Qualifier
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 30.05.26. | 08:00
Today's clash follows a first leg meeting between the two sides on Friday, 22 May that ended in a 1-1 draw
Kenya’s U17 Women's national team, Junior Starlets, are set to face their Ugandan counterparts in yet another East African derby, even as they continue their quest for a World Cup spot.
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The two nations will clash in the second leg of their 2026 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup qualifiers match set for today, Saturday 30 May at the Nyayo National Stadium from 1500 hrs.
Today's clash follows a first leg meeting between the two sides on Friday, 22 May that ended in a 1-1 draw, with Emily Adhiambo coming off the bench to score a sublime second half goal to level the scores for Kenya after Uganda had taken a lead in the first half.
Kenya secured a place in this second qualifying round following a 7-1 aggregate victory over Namibia, while Uganda cruised past Zimbabwe with a 6-1 win over two legs.
This qualifier also rekindles the rivalry that the nations have harboured, having also met at this stage in the 2025 edition, when Kenya hammered Uganda 5-0 on aggregate.
Having scored a goal and earned a draw in the first leg, Uganda have clearly demonstrated to be a much better side than they were a year ago, and would want to revenge on Kenya, who are also eager to make a return to the global tourney following their maiden appearance in 2024.
Speaking at the sidelines of the team’s last training session ahead of the match, Kenyan defender Mwanakombo Bakari remained confident of their qualification.
“We have already made amends on the mistakes that we made in the first leg, and are now ready to implement what we learnt in the match. We will give our all in the remaining 90 minutes to ensure that we secure a place in the last qualifying round,” said Bakari.
Her sentiments were echoed by Bevarline Awuor, who also had a message to the Kenyan faithful.
“We have trained well and are ready for the match. We will do our best to ensure that we secure a win. We are urging all our fans to turn up in large numbers and offer us that support that we dearly need,” stated Awuor.