Rising Starlets eye home win in decisive return leg against Ethiopia

Emily Morang’a and Elizabeth Mideva celebrate after Rising Starlets’ goal against Ethiopia/ HANDOUT

The Rising Starlets will bank on home advantage as they host Ethiopia in the decisive return leg of their 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup second-round qualifier at Ulinzi Sports Complex on Sunday.

The match kicks off at 3 pm.

Kenya carries a slight edge into the clash after forcing a 1-1 draw in Addis Ababa last weekend, thanks to an early strike from Elizabeth Mideva, who pounced on a rebound just 37 seconds into the match.

While Ethiopia found an equaliser in the second half through Daniel Emush, the Starlets’ away goal puts them in a favourable position heading into the home tie.

Head coach Jackline Juma believes the team has what it takes to finish the job in Nairobi.

“We thank God for the away goal — that’s a plus for us. At home, we have to be more composed, especially at the back. We’ve identified areas to work on, particularly our defensive line and link-up play in attack,” said Juma.

The Starlets dominated the first half in Ethiopia but were undone by a momentary lapse in the second period. With a packed home crowd expected on Sunday, Juma says the focus will be on capitalising early and staying compact throughout.

Defender Halima Imbachi is confident the team will rise to the occasion.

“We started strongly in Addis and matched them well despite the crowd and weather. In Nairobi, we have the advantage. We’ll do much better in front of our home fans,” she said.

The aggregate winner will advance to the third round in February 2026, where they will face the winner between Tanzania and Angola as the journey to the U-20 World Cup in Colombia continues.