Kenya’s U-17 girls’ national team, the Junior Starlets, will look to bounce back from a 2-0 opening-day loss to England when they face two-time champions North Korea in their second Group C match at the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup at Cibao Stadium in the Dominican Republic.Making their debut in the tournament, the Starlets must deliver their best performance to secure a win and keep their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals alive. This prestigious tournament is currently in its eighth edition.Under coach Mildred Cheche, Kenya struggled both on and off the ball in their match against England on Thursday. It’s MATCHDAY💪We play our 2⃣nd FIFA U17 World Cup match against Korea DPR 🇰🇵Catch the match LIVE 📺 on FIFA + ⤵️https://t.co/z21aX47eoz#GoJuniorStarlets #JuniorStarlets pic.twitter.com/ujxNoDRz5a— Harambee Starlets (@StarletsKE) October 20, 2024 Cheche will need to make tactical adjustments before taking on North Korea, one of the tournament favourites.North Korea, the 2006 and 2016 champions, enter the game as the favourites. Along with defending champions Spain, they are among the top contenders to win the title again. However, they will need to overcome Kenya’s challenge first.Despite the loss to England, coach Cheche remains optimistic about her team’s performance and believes they have addressed their defensive issues ahead of the Korea encounter. “We will put in a lot of effort in the next two games (against North Korea and Mexico),” said Cheche. “Competing at the World Cup gives us a big platform to showcase what we are made of.”FIFA U17 World Cup: Mildred Cheche picks two positives from Kenya’s loss to EnglandKenya’s striker, Marion Serenge, assured fans of improved results in the upcoming games. “We have now experienced the World Cup, and we know it will be better for us as we work on our weak points,” she said. “I can tell the fans that we haven’t lost it all. We will regain our form by addressing our weaknesses ahead of the next match.”Kenya’s defenders will need to be vigilant against North Korean striker Choe Rim Jong, who scored a hat-trick in their 4-1 victory over Mexico. England soils Kenya’s valiant FIFA U17 World Cup debutChoe also assisted Choe Il Son, a standout player from North Korea’s U-20 team that recently won the FIFA U-20 World Cup after defeating Japan 1-0. Son claimed the Golden Boot in that tournament with three goals.A win for Kenya would keep their quarter-final hopes alive if they also beat Mexico in their final group game while maximum points for North Korea today would secure their place in the quarter-finals, while Kenya would be eliminated with one game left to play. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8424514##
