Cheche tips Junior Starlets to beat Ethiopia in U-17 World Cup qualifiers

On By Vaseline

Festus Lango By Festus Lango

Published on: May 07, 2024 04:43 (EAT)

Cheche tips Junior Starlets to beat Ethiopia in U-17 World Cup qualifiers

It’s all the Junior Starlets are doing ahead of their first leg of the 2024 Under-17 World Cup qualifier against Ethiopia, which will be played at the Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Friday.

During a morning training session at Dandora Stadium in Nairobi, where the team has had a ten-day residential camp, head coach Mildred Cheche said on Tuesday that the girls are in top form ahead of the crucial match.

“We have trained intensively over the past ten days and I am impressed with the team.

“We haven’t done much because they’ve been active elsewhere and I like the shape they’re in,” Mildred said.

“They wanted to get this opportunity and now they have it and they are ready to represent their country,” she added.

Underscoring their focus ahead of the tie, the soft-spoken tactician warned her troops against any form of complacency, calling it a recipe for a disappointing clean sheet.

‘It will be a difficult match. “I have seen the Ethiopians play in these qualifiers and I can confirm that they have some good players, but we are going there to do our best,” she expressed optimism.

Captain Elizabeth Ochaka underlined their confidence ahead of Friday’s match, adding that a win away from home will give them control of the match as they look to seal qualification in the second leg.

“We have had good moments here in recent days and the morale in the camp is very high, we are going there with the aim of achieving good results.

“We know it will be difficult, but anything is possible, we can achieve results before we return home,” she thought.

Junior Starlets advanced to the third round of the CAF 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers following DR Congo’s withdrawal, while Ethiopia qualified after eliminating South Africa on a 3–0 aggregate score.

The third round of the first stage matches for the Under-17 Women’s World Cup will take place on May 1, 2024, with the second legs scheduled for May 19, 2024.

Six teams that reach the fourth round will compete for the only three reserved tickets for the continent at the final tournament in the Dominican Republic in October 2024.