Junior Starlets make history after qualifying for maiden World Cup
17th June 2024
The 2024 U17 Women's World Cup will be played in the Dominican Republic from 16 October to 3 November.
- Kenya beat Burundi 5-0 on aggregate to book the precious ticket to the World Cup.
- The Starlets began their qualification journey with a bye in the second round after DR Congo pulled out of the qualifiers.
- They then beat Ethiopia with a 3-0 aggregate in the third round before completing the job against Burundi in the fourth and final round.
The Junior Starlets have achieved a historic milestone after
becoming the first Kenyan national team to qualify for a World Cup.
This remarkable feat follows their 5-0 aggregate victory
over Burundi in the fourth and final round of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup
qualifiers.
The decisive match took place on Sunday 16 June at the
Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi where the women’s junior side went down into
the history books.
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Kenya entered the game with a three-goal advantage from
their first-leg encounter in Ethiopia and only needed to stay level-headed to
book their ticket to the global championship.
The hosts got the perfect start with Marion Serenge opening
the scoring in the 17th minute. Just four minutes later, Valerie Nekesa doubled
the advantage, effectively securing Kenya’s place on the global stage.
Throughout the qualifiers, the Junior Starlets displayed
exceptional defensive and offensive prowess, conceding a single goal while
scoring eight.
The Starlets began their qualification journey with a bye in
the second round after DR Congo pulled out of the qualifiers. They then beat
Ethiopia with a 3-0 aggregate before completing the job against Burundi.
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campaign
Starting XI
1.Velma Abwire, 16. Christine Adhiambo, 3. Kimberly Akinyi,
19. Lorine Ilavonga, 12. Elizabeth Ochaka, 9. Velma Awuor, 10. Marion
Serenge, 6. Susan Akoth, 14. Lorna Faith, 20.Rebecca Odato, 13. Valerie Nekesa
Substitutes
Ephy Awuor , 24. Joan Ogola, 15. Mitshelle Waithera,
11. Diana Anyango, 5. Sheryl Atieno, 4. Jenevive Mithel, 7. Quinter Adhiambo,
8. Lindey Weey, 17. Halima Imbachi
Everything you need to know about the FIFA U-17 Women’s
World Cup 2024
When and where?
The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2024 will take place in the
Dominican Republic . This will be the first time
that the Dominican Republic has hosted a FIFA tournament.
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Olympic Trials
Participating nations
Qualified nations: Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, England, Japan, Kenya, Korea DPR, Korea Republic, Mexico, New Zealand,
Nigeria, Poland, Spain, USA, Zambia.
Note: This year’s U-17 Women's World Cup will be the last to
feature 16 teams before the increase to 24 for the next edition.
Dominican Republic 2024 format
The 16 participating teams will be divided into four groups
of four. The top two teams in each group qualify for the quarter finals. This
will be followed by semi-finals, a match for third place and the final.
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Champions
2008: DPR Korea
2010: Korea Republic
2012: France
2014: Japan
2016: DPR Korea
2018: Spain
2022: Spain
