The Kenya U17 national team, Junior Starlets, edged closer to making history by securing an away vital 3-0 win against Burundi in the first leg of the fourth and final round of the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
The team clinched the decisive win on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at the Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The win means that the Mildred Cheche-coached side is 90 minutes away from making history as the first Kenyan football team to ever grace a World Cup competition.
Midfielder Lorna Faith opened the scoring in the 11th minute for her second goal in the qualifiers, following her crucial contribution to the Starlets’ win over Ethiopia last month.
A minute before halftime, Archbishop Njenga Secondary School student Marion Serenge doubled the lead, giving Cheche’s charges a well-deserved advantage at the break.
The victory was put beyond doubt in the 77th minute when Gor Mahia Queens midfielder Susan Akoth found the back of the net.
This commanding win gives the Junior Starlets a significant advantage heading into the second leg of the fourth round of the qualifiers, bringing them just one step away from a historic first-ever World Cup qualification.