NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 15 – Despite enjoying a 2-0 lead from the first leg played in Kampala last weekend, Kenya’s Junior Starlets are not taking anything to chance as they welcome Uganda for the second leg of the 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup second round qualifier in Nairobi on Sunday.
Starlets only need any kind of draw to progress to the final qualification round and at worse, a 1-0 defeat would still sail them through.
But, the girls say they are approaching Sunday afternoon’s return duel at Nyayo with the first leg result out of their minds, as they do not want to invite complacency to ensure they are motivated enough to play for a win.
“We are going into the match as though we are starting afresh. Yes, we won the first leg, but in football anything can happen and we are taking the return tie very seriously. We go in as though it is still 0-0. Our ambition is to give everything and win at home, infront of our fans,” captain Halima Imbachi said after the team’s final training session at the Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday.
The girls will play at Nyayo for the first time in almost three years, with the stadium having been closed down for renovations. Their historic qualification to the World Cup last year was orchestrated at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.
And now, they hope that the home fans can come out in large numbers, to spur their dream.
“We will not let them down,” Imbachi says, as she led a clarion call for the nation to stand behind them in their quest for back to back World Cup qualifications.
At the same time, head coach Mildred Cheche says they have their notes out from the first leg, and are wary that Uganda is a team full of threat and will not be a pushover, despite being 2-0 down.
“They are a very good side. We saw how they played in the first leg especially offensively and they have very good players like their number 10 who can shoot from any angle. It is a game where we have to be very cautious but we have prepared well for it. The morale is high and the motivation is there for the girls,” she said.
Cheche added; “We are playing at home and that should give us a bit of energy and a push to do well. Our target remains to qualify for the World Cup for the second time.”
Starlets will book a place in the final qualification round with a positive result, where they will meet Cameroon. The Central Africans beat Ethiopia 1-0 in Saturday’s return leg, progressing 6-2 on aggregate after a 5-2 win in the first leg last weekend.
The post Junior Starlets not taking chances in Uganda World Cup qualifier return appeared first on Capital Sports.