Kenya Under 17 Women’s National team head coach Mildred Cheche has praised her side’s resilience after securing a vital 2-1 away victory against Namibia in the first leg of their World Cup qualifying campaign on Sunday afternoon at the UNAM stadium in Windhoek.
Despite the pressure of the continental stage, Cheche’s young squad displayed maturity beyond their years, commanding the pace of the game early on to take a significant advantage back to Nairobi.
Reflecting on the performance during the post-match press conference, Cheche noted the stark difference in tempo between the two periods. She credited her team for a dominant opening that ultimately decided the fixture.
“We had a good game, especially in the first half. The girls did really well. In the second half, not so much, but I believe it’s a learning curve for them because most of them, it’s their first time playing an international match. Hopefully they’ll settle in in the second leg.”
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Coach Cheche hails Junior Starlets’ resilience after crucial away win over Namibia
The junior Starlets started off swiftly netting twice from Faith Boke and Linde Weey Atieno in the first five minutes to take charge of the match and could have scored more had they converted the many goalscoring chances they created.
The performance was strong enough to earn the respect of the Namibian technical bench.
Namibia head coach Woody Jacobs admitted that the Starlets’ intensity was difficult to contain, particularly in the opening minutes where two defensive errors proved costly.
“To be honest with you, I’m very proud today to play against a very strong Kenyan team. Strong in the fact that they go about their business so well and they put us under so much pressure. I had young girls that had to withstand that. We didn’t know what to expect from Kenya because last year’s team is not the same team, but I can see that the succession has gone the same way. I think at times we were punching above our weight because Kenya is so strong.”
With two away goals in the bag, the Starlets return home with a clear path to the next round. Cheche remains confident that the experience gained in Windhoek will settle any lingering nerves as the team prepares to host the return fixture in Nairobi on Saturday at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.
