Junior Starlets shift focus to decisive second leg home clash

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As the dust settles on the tense first-leg encounter that ended in a one-all draw in Kampala, focus shifts to Nairobi as Junior Starlets prepare to host neighbours Uganda in a do-or-die return match.

Stakes are higher than ever before, for the duel will decide who advances to the third and final round of the 2026 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

While Starlets will be out to secure their place among the last eight teams, Uganda will be on a mission to not only remain in the race for a ticket to the global showpiece but also avenge last year’s defeat.

The Teen Cranes suffered a 5-0 beating at the hands of the Kenyans during the second round of last year's qualification cycle.

And now with a point from their home match and a chance to get the job done, the Ugandans will not go down without a proper fight. The return leg is set for Saturday at Nyayo Stadium.

The aggregate winner will book a third-round date with Tanzania or South Africa in the final round.

Four nations will represent the continent alongside hosts Morocco in this year’s World Cup, set for October 17 to November 7.

Junior Starlets who were bundled out in the third round by Cameroon last year are yearning to make their second appearance on the global stage, having made their debut in 2024.

Coach Mildred Cheche’s charges showed grit as they faced a hungry Ugandan side that was eager to rewrite history.

The Kenyans found themselves trailing early in the game following Shadia Nabirye’s 11th-minute goal. Failure to react fast to a rebound ball saw Teen Cranes take the lead and dictate the tempo of the game throughout the first half.

The Kenyans, who were without the experienced duo of Rose Nangila and Lindey Weey Atieno, who are out with injury, fought on with their equaliser coming in the 60th minute.

Emily Adhiambo, who had started on the bench and came in at the start of the second half alongside Gaudencia Maloba, stunned the Ugandans with a long-range goal.

With both sides at level, Cheche and her technical bench have their work cut out as they prepare for the return leg. While the away draw slightly cushions the Kenyans, they are not out of the woods yet because the outcome of the Nyayo duel will make or break their World Cup dreams.