Kenya U17 coach reveals biggest motivation to qualify for U17 FIFA Women's World Cup
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 25.05.26. | 13:57
Cheche’s side held Uganda to a 1-1 tie on Friday in a match played at the FUFA Stadium in Kidiba, Kampala
Kenya U17 women's head coach Mildred Cheche has admitted that the motivation to feature in the 2026 U17 FIFA Women's World Cup finals is spurring the team to perform well in the ongoing qualifiers.
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Cheche’s side held Uganda to a 1-1 tie on Friday in a match played at the FUFA Stadium in Kidiba, Kampala.
The team made history by qualifying for the 2024 U17 FIFA Women's World Cup, becoming the sole Kenyan side, both men and women, to qualify for a World Cup tourney.
Speaking after the match, Cheche said, "Every time we take part in these qualifiers, we are always reminding ourselves that we have once played in the World Cup.
“That remains a big motivation for the girls, and it is pushing us to have a repeat performance.”
She described the draw against Uganda as a positive result considering they were playing away and remains confident they will finish the job back home on Saturday, 30 May.
“It was a great comeback for my players after going down in the first half. Our opponents are a good side who are fighters and gave their all in the match. We are also fighters and were in it for the 90 minutes,” she said.
Cheche also praised her substitutions, which she says changed the game, resulting in the equaliser.
“At the start of the match, our players seemed to have panicked, but this is normal considering that we are away from our fans. Also, the players were not able to adjust quickly to the high humidity.
However, the substitutions we made turned everything around. They settled well and were able to read the game, bringing in the changes and the goal,” she added.
Cheche said they would not underrate their opponents come the return match, describing Uganda as a side full of talented players with the majority of them playing in the country’s top league.
“We are not resting on our laurels. We shall be at our best in the return match and ensure that we finish the job back home.”