U-17 World Cup:  Kenya’s Junior Starlets stop South Africa’s Bantwana

‎Kenya’s national U-17 women team Junior Starlets qualified for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup for the second time in history, after edging out South Africa 3-1 at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday.
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‎The Kenyan girls had won the first leg 2-0 away last weekend and coach Mildred Cheche’s girls only needed to avoid defeat in Nairobi to mark another historic run.
‎Away from home, the Junior Starlets produced a performance built on hunger and courage. They matched South Africa’s intensity, trusted the game plan and took a 2-0 advantage back to Nairobi.
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‎Back home, anticipation continued to grow. Nyayo Stadium transformed into more than just a football venue. It became a meeting point for a nation determined to push its young stars over the finish line.
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‎The Kenyan girls pulled off a remarkable second-half performance, coming from a goal down to win by a comfortable margin, and a 5-1 aggregate victory.
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‎Bantwana took an early first-half lead, but in true Junior Starlets fashion, Kenya mounted a spirited second-half comeback to claim a 3-1 victory on the day and sealed a commanding 5-1 aggregate win.
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‎In a match that started with a minute of silence to remember the late Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Jayden Adams, South Africa knew they had a mountain to climb.
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‎However, they got off the mark quickly as they took the lead in the fifth minute through captain Katlego Malebana.
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‎The status quo remained until the 70th minute when Kenya staged a comeback in the second stanza with three goals from Gaudancia Maloba (70’), Brenda Awour (86’ pen) and substitute Elizabeth Opiyo (90’).
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‎Speaking after the game, Kenya coach Cheche said: “I am really delighted. I am happy for the girls, the technical bench and the whole country.
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‎“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.
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‎“The girls had some stage fright at the start and played with some fear. We went back to the dressing room at half-time and reminded them that we are playing at home and even if they had never played in front of this huge number of fans, we had to step up and get results at home and I am glad they responded well in the second half.
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‎We now have to prepare well and focus on getting better results. We want to go past the group stages and I believe we have the ability to do it.”
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‎South Africa coach Khumalo said: “Firstly, let me congratulate the Kenyans for their win. We lost the game in the first leg back at home and we knew it was not going to be easy coming here in front of such a big crowd.
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‎“The journey has ended for us, but I must applaud our girls. They fought a good fight, but it is unfortunate that sometimes the results don’t go your way.
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‎“We have learnt our lessons, and now we have to look forward to the next projects because we still have players in this team who are 15 and 16 years old that can continue in this age group.
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‎“It hurts that we were so close and yet so far, but we will go back home and regroup for the next edition.”
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‎The Junior Starlets will now return to the World Cup for the second time in the nation’s history, carrying with them not only Kenya’s hopes but also the dreams of countless young girls who now know that the world’s biggest stage is within reach.
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