Junior Starlets handed tough FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup draw
Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 13.07.26. | 14:32
The tournament will be staged in Morocco from 17 October to 8 November, with Kenya making their second appearance on the global stage
Kenya's Junior Starlets have been handed a challenging Group E assignment for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, where they will face former finalists the United States, Asian side China PR and tournament debutants Samoa.
The tournament will be staged in Morocco from 17 October to 8 November, with Kenya making their second appearance on the global stage after qualifying under head coach Mildred Cheche.
The United States head into the competition as the group's most decorated side.
They finished runners-up at the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in 2008 after losing 2-1 to North Korea in extra time and claimed the bronze medal at the 2024 tournament in the Dominican Republic with a victory over England.
China PR will also pose a significant challenge after reaching the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, their best performance in the competition to date.
The fourth team in the group is Samoa, who, like Kenya, will be viewed as underdogs as they seek to spring a surprise.
Kenya secured qualification impressively, overturning South Africa 3-1 in the second leg at a packed Nyayo National Stadium to complete a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory and book their place in Morocco.
The result sealed a second straight FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup appearance for the Junior Starlets, having made their historic debut at the 2024 tournament in the Dominican Republic.
Head coach Cheche credited the players' resilience and hard work throughout the qualification campaign and has now set her sights on leading Kenya into the knockout rounds for the first time.
"I am really delighted. I am happy for the girls, the technical bench and the whole country. The journey has not been easy but here we are again. All this is the fruit of hard work and belief. The girls wanted to do this from the start and you can see the joy on our faces," said Cheche.
She believes Kenya has what it takes to make history in Morocco.
"We now have to prepare well and focus on getting better results. We want to go past the group stages and I believe we can do it," she told CAF Media.
Kenya will be aiming to improve on their maiden World Cup campaign in 2024. The Junior Starlets suffered defeats to eventual champions North Korea and England in their opening two matches before signing off with a memorable victory over Mexico.
Group E
Kenya, USA, China PR, Samoa
Kenya's Group Stage fixtures
19 October 2026: Kenya vs China PR
22 October 2026: USA vs Kenya
25 October 2026: Samoa vs Kenya
