We have everything to play for, Junior Starlets coach says

Afterwards, Cheche said her team has everything to play for in the return leg planned for Friday at Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

“Playing away will be tough, but we have everything to play for in the match, and they (Cameroon) have everything to lose. My players are mentally tougher, as seen in the second half. Cameroon will face a tough and different opponent from the one they faced today (Sunday),” Cheche said.

“We must dominate the entire match in Cameroon as we did today in the second half and prevent them from playing at home. We will be carefull not to make unnecessary fouls, as they (Cameroonian players) will go down easily. We need to capitalize on scoring opportunities, as they likely won’t waste time again,” Cheche, who holds CAF “A” license, said.

Her Cameroonian counterpart said Kenya proved a tough opponent.

“It was a tough game for us but a big shout out to Kenyan fans who came to supoort the young girls. I have never witnessed this before. It was a tough game as much as we won, Kenya could have won the game,” Cameroon’s coach Joseph Ndoko said. Cameroon scored the all-important goal in the 13th minute via striker Tiwa Milong, leaving Junior Starlets with a mountain to climb in the return fixture planned for Friday at Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

The stakes are incredibly high, as the aggregate winner of the two-leg qualifiers will secure a spot in 2025 Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup to be played in Morocco from October 16 to November 3.

Yesterday, coach Cheche opted for a tactical change in match, making three changes to the starting lineup that had previously taken on Uganda in a 5-0 aggregate win in the second round last month.

Junior Starlets midfielder Bakari Mwanakombo, Joy Angela Valencia, and Brenda Achieng got starting berths, replacing Lindey Weey Atieno, Patience Asiko, and Brenda Awuor respectively as coach Cheche sought to score early goals.

Velma Abwire retained her position in goal, and Junior Starles deployed a defensive line of former captain Elizabeth Ochaka, Lorine Ilavonga, Judith Nandwa, and Jenivive Mithel.

Captain Halima Imbachi took charge of the midfield, partnering Valencia, Mwanakombo, and Achieng, and there was the attacking duo of Joan Ogola and Edinah Nasipwondi.

Cameroon broke the deadlock in the 13th minute through Milong’ from a corner kick delivered by Karen Indule.

The early goal put Kenya on the back foot, and Junior Starlets were left chasing the game.

Kenya squandered several goal-scoring opportunities in the match.

In the third minute, Junior Starlets goalkeeper Abwire almost gifted Cameroon a goal with a howler. In the 12th minute of the match, Achieng squandered a golden opportunity to score when she came one-on-one with the Cameroonian goalkeeper Fatima Ngamiya.

Ochaka’s corner in the 24th minute also posed a threat to Cameroon, but it was ultimately punched away to safety by Cameroon’s goalkeeper Ngamiya.

In the 32nd minute of the match, coach Cheche sought to reinvigorate Kenya’s attack in search of an equalizer, introducing Atieno for Achieng, but Cameroon’s defence stood firm.

In the second half, coach Cheche introduced Mitshel Waithera for Valencia in midfield, and it nearly paid off.

Waithera come close to scoring shortly after her introduction, only to see her shot strike the crossbar.

Waithera had another opportunity to draw Kenya level in the 50th minute, but Ngassa blocked her shot.

Ogola also missed a scoring opportunity in the 55th minute of the match, further compounding Kenya’s frustrations in front of goal.

Cheche brought on striker Asiko for Ogola in the 75th minute as Kenya pushed for an elusive equalizer but the north Africans employed time-wasting tactics.

Milong was yellow-carded for time-wasting in the dying minutes of the second half.