Rising Starlets eliminated from World Cup qualifiers

Rising Starlets have been eliminated from the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers by Tanzania following a 3-1 penalty shootout after an aggregate 1-1 in normal time bringing their qualification campaign to an abrupt end.

Kenya entered the match with an advantage of 1-0 in the first leg a week ago but Tanzania leveled the aggregate score in the 52nd minute after converting a penalty.

The match had to go straight to the panalties following the 1-1 draw in normal time, and in the shootout, the Rising Starlets struggled from the spot, converting just one penalty while missing three.

Tanzania, meanwhile, scored three of their attempts and missed only once, sealing their progression and ending Kenya’s hopes of reaching the global tournament.

Despite the disappointing exit, the campaign showcased the promise of Kenya’s young talents, who had impressed throughout the qualifiers.

However, their World Cup dream now ends at this stage as Tanzania advance to the next round.

They will meet the winners between Botswana and Cameroon with the winners of the final stage will earn them a ticket to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals in Poland from September 5–27, 2027.