Kenya’s Under-17 women’s national team assistant coach, Ann Aluoch, believes that playing against Burundi on Sunday in Ethiopia will work to their advantage as they seek qualification for the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
The Junior Starlets are set to depart the country on Friday evening for the fourth and final round of the World Cup qualifier match, which will take place at the Abebe Bikila Stadium. The venue was chosen due to the unavailability of a FIFA-approved stadium in Burundi.
The team advanced to the final round after a convincing 3-0 victory over Ethiopia two weeks ago at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi.
Speaking to Citizen Digital, Aluoch, who also serves as the tactician for Mathare United Women FC, emphasized that the Abebe Bikila Stadium will provide a neutral ground for the match, ensuring that they will not be overwhelmed by the presence of home fans from Burundi.
“I think to us will be a big advantage playing in Ethiopia. Remember we played in the same stadium against Ethiopia in our first leg of third round of the qualifier meaning we understand the field and weather well. I’m urging my charges to stay focused and give it to their all. We need a win away so that we can make things easy back at home in the second leg,” said Aluoch.
Ahead of the two-legged qualifier against Burundi, the Junior Starlets intensified their preparations on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, at Dandora Stadium. However, they faced a setback in a friendly match against the new Kenyan Women Premier League (KWPL) champions, Kenya Police Bullets, losing 1-2.
During the friendly encounter, Mercy Njeri and Lucy Kwekwe scored for the Kenya Police Bullets, while Quiter Adhiambo managed to secure a consolation goal for the Junior Starlets.
Despite the loss, Coach Aluoch emphasized the significance of these friendly matches in boosting the team’s morale and preparation for the upcoming qualifiers. This match marked the second friendly fixture for the Junior Starlets, providing valuable opportunities for development and assessment ahead of their crucial matches against Burundi.
“I can say the two friendly matches we have played, against Police Bullets yesterday where we lost 2-1 and against Ulinzi Starlets on May 31 have really assisted the players to gain confidence ahead of the Burundi match. They have also assisted the technical bench to gauge the players and I want to thank the two KWPL clubs for the friendlies. We are travelling on Friday evening to Ethiopia. It’s always good to arrive in time so that we can acclimatize,” said Aluoch.
About their injured players – Joy Agelah Valencia (Butere Girls) and Valerie Nekesa (Madira Girls), Aluoch is hopeful they will be available for selection.
“I want to confirm they are all fine now. We had given them a one week break and their rehabilitation has been good and we are looking forward for their services,” Aluoch noted.
The first leg of the qualifier is set to take place on Sunday, June 9, 2024, at Abebe Bikila Stadium, with the return leg scheduled for a week later on June 16, 2024, at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi.
The aggregate winner of these two matches will earn the opportunity to represent the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) region at the 2024 Under-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic in October 2024.
