Junior Starlets/ HANDOUT
Starlets' coach Mildred Cheche says the CECAFA U-17 Girls Championship is proving invaluable in Kenya’s preparations for the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers against South Africa.
She said the tournament was providing a crucial opportunity to assess the squad under competitive conditions. Cheche made the remarks after Kenya secured top spot in Group A following a dramatic 1-1 draw against hosts Tanzania in Dar-es-Salaam on Wednesday, a result salvaged by Jael Simiyu’s stoppage-time equaliser.
“Since we are preparing for the qualifiers against South Africa, it is good to rotate the squad to see where we are as a team, assess different players and give them game time,” said Cheche. “Match fitness is very important for us, and we are gaining exactly that by being here at CECAFA.”
The coach explained that the regional tournament has allowed her technical bench to evaluate squad depth while ensuring players accumulate valuable minutes ahead of the high-stakes World Cup qualifiers.
Kenya’s approach has been evident throughout the group stage, where players were given opportunities to impress. The Junior Starlets opened their campaign with a commanding 16-0 victory over Sudan before defeating Somalia 2-0 to book a place in the semi-finals.
Against Tanzania, Kenya faced their toughest test of the tournament. The hosts took the lead in the 38th minute through Bahati Kizanguzi after Brenda Achieng had seen a penalty saved earlier in the match.
Cheche admitted her side failed to live up to expectations in the opening half but praised the players’ response after tactical adjustments during the break. “Basically, in the first half we didn’t do very well, but in the second half we made a few changes and became better,” she said.
“We had more chances to score but didn’t use them. Hopefully, in the next matches we will be able to utilise the chances we get during the match.” Kenya dominated much of the second half, pushing Tanzania deeper into their own half as substitutes Elizabeth Alizeba and Lindey Atieno added energy and attacking impetus.
Their persistence was rewarded in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Simiyu calmly finished from close range to secure a 1-1 draw and ensure Kenya finished second in Group A on goal difference.
The result extended the Junior Starlets’ unbeaten run in the tournament and underlined their progress as they build towards the World Cup qualifiers.
With a semi-final place secured, Cheche is expected to continue rotating her squad as she fine-tunes her selection and tactical approach ahead of the South Africa assignment, with the remaining CECAFA matches offering one final opportunity to test players in a competitive environment.
