Mildred tells charges to keep feet on ground as Uganda test loom

 Junior Starlets' head coach Mildred Cheche has urged her charges to keep their feet on the ground as they gear for the second leg round of the Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup Qualifier.

They Starlets will contend with a stiff challenge from their Ugandan counterparts at this stage, having already dispatched Namibia 7-1 on aggregate. Against Namibia Kenya were spotless winning 2-1 away in Windhoek before completing the job at home, at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, with a 5-0 rout and Mildred is urging calm, focus and discipline as they bid to navigate their way out of a tricky-looking opposition.

 “For the next step we will prepare well because it will be going to be a tough match. Most of my players are talented and they only need to step up and hopefully they will do that in the next stage also.”

“I think what worked for us is the confidence instilled in my players. The home fans also cheered them well and motivated them to win with a big margin. The win [against Namibia] is now a thing of the past, we need to focus ahead of the next stage and proper training will guide us ahead,” she charged.

To get to this stage, Uganda ‘Teens Canes” beat Zimbabwe 4-1 in second leg at Kampala following a 2-0 away results in Harare, for a 6-1 aggregate.

The two East African sides met last year, with Kenya winning 5–0 on aggregate to reach the final round, where they were eliminated by Cameroon.

The qualification process consists of three rounds of home-and-away matches. Thirty teams entered the first round, with Nigeria exempted based on past performances.

Fifteen winners will advance to the second round, where they will join Nigeria. The 16 teams will then compete for eight spots in the third round. The remaining eight teams will face off in four two-legged ties, with the winners qualifying for the tournament to be held in Morocco from October 17 to November 7 2026.

The tournament is part of a series of annual, expanded 24-team editions held in Morocco from 2025 to 2029.

Junior Starlets, are eying second consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance after a historic debut in the 2024 tournament in the Dominican Republic.