Kenya's Junior Starlets Make History, Advance to U-17 Women's World Cup Round of 16
A dominant 4-0 victory over Samoa secured their unprecedented knockout stage qualification in Morocco.
The story
Kenya's Junior Starlets etched their name in history yesterday, October 25, by qualifying for the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup for the first time. The momentous achievement came after a commanding 4-0 triumph over Samoa in their final Group E match, played at Pitch 4 of the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat.
Mwanakombo Bakari set the tone early, opening the scoring in the 5th minute. Brenda Awuor doubled Kenya's lead just before halftime in the 44th minute.
The second half saw no let-up, with Gaudancia Maloba adding a third goal in the 61st minute, quickly followed by Bakari netting her second of the match in the 63rd. Bakari's standout performance earned her the Player of the Match award. The victory secured Kenya's third-place finish in Group E, ensuring their progression to the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed teams.
Yesterday's results
Chile vs Spain (FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup)
Score: 1-3
Key: Bruna Quintana scored twice and assisted Maria Aymerich's early goal for Spain.
Mexico vs Australia (FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup)
Score: 1-0
Key: Citlalli Reyes' goal secured Mexico's win, eliminating Australia.
China PR vs USA (FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup)
Score: 3-2
Key: China PR edged out USA in a thrilling contest to top Group E.
Samoa vs Kenya (FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup)
Score: 0-4
Key: Mwanakombo Bakari scored twice, with Brenda Awuor and Gaudancia Maloba also finding the net for Kenya.
Morocco vs Belize (FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival)
Score: 6-0
Key: Mohammed Fahd El Assas, Said Noufii (2), Mohammed Amine Zerkaoui, Mohammed Amine El Abbassi, and Adam El Mimouni scored for Morocco.
Where it stands
The latest results from the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup have solidified the knockout picture. Spain maintained their perfect record, topping Group D, while China PR secured the top spot in Group E with their narrow victory over the USA.
Kenya's historic 4-0 win against Samoa saw them qualify for the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams from Group E. Mexico's 1-0 triumph over Australia in Group F also ensured their progression, and Venezuela advanced as another of the best third-placed teams. Meanwhile, in the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival, Morocco continued their dominant run, sitting atop Group F with nine points after their 6-0 win over Belize.
What we'll be watching
- Morocco vs Curaçao (FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival, Group F) — Monday, October 26, 10:30 a.m. GMT
- Morocco vs Liberia (FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival, Group F) — Monday, October 26, 4:45 p.m. GMT
- Kenya vs Japan (FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, Round of 16) — Thursday, October 29, 9:00 p.m. EAT at Mohammed VI Complex, Pitch 3, Rabat
Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.