U17 World Cup Q: FKF rallies Kenyans for final push as Junior Starlets face South Africa
By Luke Oluoch, June 29, 2026Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed has urged fans to rally behind Junior Starlets as they prepare to face their South African counterparts in the crucial World Cup U17 qualifier match.
The Junior Starlets are two games away from a historic qualification for the U17 girls and next face South Africa in a two-legged match.
Mildred Cheche will have the luxury of hosting the final leg in Nairobi on Sunday, July 12, 2026. The clash at Nyayo Stadium will determine how Kenya’s prospects for a World Cup return look, coming a week after the first leg encounter in Pretoria on July 4, 2026.
Defining moment
“This is a defining moment for the Junior Starlets. A crucial FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifier awaits, with a two-legged tie against South Africa standing between the Junior Starlets and their World Cup dream,” Mohammed noted.
Mohamed has challenged fans to attend and drum support for the girls who have been Kenya’s bright spot in the youth competitions.
The girls need your support. Be the 12th man; let’s fill the stands and cheer them on. Your support is the advantage we need to push the team over the line. Tupatane Nyayo mapema!
The starlets’ team has been hard at work in preparation for the clash. They are seeking a second stab on the global stage after successfully qualifying for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Dominican Republic 2024.
The Kenyan girls held Uganda to a 0-0 stalemate in the second-leg encounter at the Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday, May 30, 2026.
In the reverse fixture, Junior Starlets put in a spirited performance to secure a valuable 1-1 draw against the hosts on Thursday, May 22, 2026, at the FUFA Stadium in Kampala.
The Junior Starlets have been one of the nation’s success stories in youth football, and it remains to be seen if they can ever overcome the final hurdle en route to another global record.
The local girls will be in for a formidable opponent against the South African Bantwana, who qualified for the third and final round of the qualifiers by defeating Tanzania 2-0 on aggregate in the second round.