National women's under-17 team coach Mildred Cheche has said her charges will give their opponents a run for their money in the Fifa World Cup qualifiers set for February.
The Junior Starlets are set to play the Democratic Republic of Congo in the two-legged second-round fixtures with Kenya playing their away match on February 4.
The return leg set for Nairobi will be played a week later.
Cheche exuded confidence in her team saying: “We have a good team that can compete against DR Congo."
Cheche said the girls were physically and mentally ready having participated in local tournaments that were vital for their fitness.
"The girls came in ready, having previously been active in different tournaments like Talanta Hela and Chapa Dimba, which is a plus for the team preparations,” Cheche said.
The 30-member provisional squad has been in a residential camp for five days.
The team, which was named a week ago, is composed of high school players.
The Junior Starlets will travel to the Central African nation on February 2, two days before settling scores with their rivals.
Madira Girls' Valerie Nekesa, who starred for the Rising Starlets U20 Women World Cup qualifiers last year, highlights the squad.
The young forward bagged a hat-trick against Angola as the Rising Starlets saw them off 4-0 in their backyard.
She also performed excellently in the 2022/23 Women Premier League (WPL) Division One, winning the Golden Boot with 37 goals in just 22 matches as the Soccer Assassins were crowned champions.
After the two legs, the tie winner on aggregate will proceed to the third round.
