Kenya Under 17, the Junior Starlets’ captain, Elizabeth Ochoka, has attributed the team’s victory over Burundi on Sunday to hard work and understanding among the playing unit.The Starlets have the opportunity to make history by becoming the first Kenyan team to qualify for a football World Cup on Sunday when they host Burundi at Ulinzi Sports Complex in the return leg.The Mildred Cheche-coached team made significant progress towards qualifying for the World Cup, set to be played later this year in the Dominican Republic, by defeating Burundi 3-0 in the first leg played away in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday.Goals from Lorna Faith, Marion Serenge, and Susan Akoth secured a crucial away win ahead of the return leg.Speaking after landing from Ethiopia, the Shiraha Starlets defender said, “The secret is working hard, having the right mentality and working as a team, because if we went chasing individual success, we wouldn’t have succeeded.”Timu Ya Chipukizi Yarejea Nyumbani:Zawadi kemkem zasubiri Junior StarletsKenya iliiadhibu Burundi 3-0Mechi ya marudiano ni Jumapili hii#CitizenNipashe @swalehmdoe pic.twitter.com/9XEYuZFyIt— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) June 10, 2024 Burundi qualified for the fourth round after an emphatic 24-0 aggregate win over Djibouti, though the skipper says that did not scare her troops.“We were optimistic ahead of the game, we knew 90 minutes would determine the outcome; we never got scared after they hit Djibouti 24, that’s normal in football, and we showed them we were capable,” she added.NSL: Vincent Nyaberi eyes top-eight finish with Mully Children’s FamilyAhead of the return leg on Sunday, the captain noted that the team was in high spirits and ready to fly the Kenyan flag high, rallying fans to come in big numbers and cheer them on as they make history.“The team is in high spirits, we are going to push to our limits not to fail our nation. We welcome our fans to come and offer the needed support.”Her sentiments were echoed by Coach Cheche, who in an earlier interview said, “Playing at home, I would urge every fan in Nairobi and outside Nairobi to please come and support the Starlets because we are just 90 minutes away from making history.”##NAJAVA_MECA_8152605##
