Kenya’s dream of winning a first-ever CECAFA U-17 Women’s Championship title ended on Sunday after the Junior Starlets suffered a 3-0 defeat to defending champions Uganda in the semi-finals at KMC Stadium.
The result sends Uganda back to the final and leaves Kenya to contest the third-place playoff, bringing an end to the Junior Starlets’ hopes of regional glory despite an otherwise impressive tournament campaign.
Uganda signalled their intent from the outset, dominating possession and pinning Kenya deep inside their own half. Their pressure paid off after just six minutes when Shadia Nabirye reacted quickest inside the penalty area following a set-piece to give the Teen Cranes an early lead.
The goal handed Uganda control of the match and forced Kenya onto the back foot. Although the Junior Starlets showed glimpses of promise through Tabitha Wambui and Lindey Atieno, they struggled to find a breakthrough against a well-organised Ugandan side that looked more dangerous in attack.
Uganda doubled their advantage five minutes before halftime, with Nabirye again at the heart of the move. After opening the scoring, she turned provider, driving into the box before cutting the ball back for Immaculate Acen, who calmly slotted past goalkeeper Mishel Okoyo to make it 2-0.
Trailing at the break, Kenya needed a strong response in the second half, but Uganda remained the more composed side. Mildred Cheche’s team introduced fresh legs and pushed forward with greater urgency, creating several opportunities. Substitute Brenda Achieng came close on a couple of occasions, while Bakari Mwanakombo tested Uganda goalkeeper Adam Manyimuna as the Junior Starlets searched for a way back into the match.
However, just as Kenya appeared to be building momentum, Uganda struck a decisive third goal. Justine Ayerango found the net to seal a comfortable victory and book the Teen Cranes’ place in the final as they continue their title defence.
The semi-final carried added significance given the recent history between the two teams. In April, Kenya eliminated Uganda from the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers on the away-goals rule after a 1-1 draw in Kampala and a goalless second leg in Nairobi. That result had given the Junior Starlets a psychological edge heading into the regional showdown, but Uganda delivered a commanding performance to exact revenge.
After the final whistle, Uganda head coach Sheryl Botes admitted that previous encounters with Kenya influenced her team’s approach.
“We went into this match with our main objective being that we have to score more than one goal. Our experience has shown that against Kenya, scoring one goal isn’t enough,” said Botes.
Kenya reached the semi-finals unbeaten, recording victories over Sudan and Somalia before drawing with hosts Tanzania to finish second in Group A. Uganda, meanwhile, topped their group with wins over South Sudan, Zanzibar and Djibouti, carrying that momentum into the knockout stage with another dominant display.
While the defeat ends Kenya’s hopes of reaching the final, the Junior Starlets still have an opportunity to finish the tournament on a positive note in the third-place playoff. Uganda, meanwhile, march on in pursuit of another CECAFA crown, once again underlining their status as the region’s benchmark at this level.
Comments
Sign in with Google to comment, reply, and like comments.
Continue with Google