• FOOTBALL

• Frank Rotich 55 mins ago

Cheche: This was my message to Junior Starlets before we faced Uganda

Kenya U17 girls' head coach Mildred Cheche has revealed the message she gave her players before their crucial FIFA U17 Women's World Cup qualifier against Uganda, a message that helped the team move one step closer to qualifying for the global tournament.

The Junior Starlets booked their place in the third and final round of qualification after holding Uganda to a goalless draw at Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday.

The result was enough to send Kenya through on the away goals rule after a 1-1 draw in the first leg played in Uganda on May 22.

Speaking after the match, Cheche said her main instruction was for the team to take advantage of playing at home while ensuring they protected the valuable result earned away from home.

"We told the girls that we had a home advantage and if we could not score, then we had to defend well and get the result we needed to move to the next stage," said Cheche.

Uganda had openly stated before the match that they planned to score early and put Kenya under pressure. However, the Junior Starlets remained disciplined in defence and successfully stopped the visitors from finding the breakthrough.

The draw means Kenya are now just one tie away from securing a second appearance at the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup, which will be held in Morocco from October 17 to November 7.

In the final qualification round, Kenya will face either South Africa or Tanzania. South Africa are currently favourites to advance after claiming a 2-0 away victory over Tanzania in the first leg.

Despite the team's progress, Cheche expects a tough challenge in the final round.

"The next round will not be easy because both South Africa and Tanzania are strong teams. Since we will start away from home, we will try to get a good result and possibly an away goal advantage before returning home," she said.

With a World Cup spot now within reach, the Junior Starlets will be hoping to overcome one final hurdle and return to the world stage for the second time in less than two years.