Junior Starlets coach Mildred Cheche and midfielder Lindey Atieno are confident Kenya can recover from their disappointing start to the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after suffering a 3-0 defeat to China in their opening Group E match in Morocco.
Kenya, making their second appearance at the global tournament, were unable to get their campaign off to a positive start against the Asian side on Monday, October 19, leaving them with work to do ahead of their remaining group matches against the United States and Samoa.
The Junior Starlets will now turn their attention to Thursday’s encounter against the USA, who opened their campaign with a commanding 17-0 victory over Samoa.
The Americans’ emphatic win underlined the challenge awaiting Cheche’s charges, but the Kenyan coach believes her players showed encouraging signs in the opening match despite the result.
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“The girls tried in the first half. We had better moments even though we had conceded. They played really well. In the second half, not so well, but we have an opportunity to rectify that in the next match,” Cheche said.
The coach acknowledged that her side must improve in key areas if they are to remain in contention for a place in the knockout stages. With two group matches still to play, Kenya will need to be more clinical in front of goal while tightening up defensively against their remaining opponents.
“We have a lot of improvements to make if we want to make it past the group stages, so a lot has to be done, especially by the forward players and the defence. Hopefully, we get that right before the next match,” she added.
Cheche believes the team created enough opportunities against China but failed to make them count. Improving their finishing will therefore be a major focus as they prepare to face a USA side that demonstrated its attacking strength in the opening round.
“I think they did well in creating chances in the opponents’ half, so maybe now we need to convert them. That’s the only thing that’s remaining,” the coach explained.
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Midfielder Atieno shares her coach’s optimism and believes Kenya can produce a different performance against the Americans. She acknowledged the quality of their next opponents but insisted the team would approach the encounter with a fresh plan as they seek their first points of the tournament.
“We are going to face a tough opponent, but we will approach the match differently from the one against China. I believe we will get a positive result,” Atieno said.
The midfielder also had a message for Kenyan fans, urging them not to give up on the team following the opening defeat. With six points still available from their remaining fixtures, the Junior Starlets have an opportunity to respond and keep their qualification hopes alive.
“I want to tell all Kenyans that it’s not yet over. They shouldn’t lose hope. Losing the first match doesn’t mean we’ve been knocked out. We still have another two matches, so it’s not yet over. We will still bounce back,” she added.
Kenya’s task will not be easy, particularly against a USA side that has already shown its ability to score freely. However, a stronger defensive display and better conversion of chances could give the Junior Starlets a platform to compete.
After Thursday’s meeting with the Americans, Kenya will conclude their Group E campaign against Samoa on Sunday, October 25.
The Junior Starlets will be aiming to collect points from both fixtures and give themselves a chance of progressing to the knockout stage.
Junior Starlets’ 2026 U17 World Cup Group E Results and Fixtures
Samoa vs Kenya – October 25, 2026 – Mohammed VI Football Complex, 9 PM EAT.
Kenya 0-3 China PR – October 19, 2026 – Mohammed VI Football Complex, 6 PM EAT.
USA vs Kenya – October 22, 2026 – Mohammed VI Football Complex, 9 PM EAT.