Claire Meris was part of the Junior Starlets dream team that qualified for Kenya’s first-ever FIFA World Cup, the U17 Women’s tourney set for Wednesday 16 October to Sunday 3 November in the Dominican Republic. As her peers prepare to feature on the global stage, Meris a form four student who has sacrificed everything to be part of the Junior Starlets, in the same year she is to sit for the national examination, might miss out on the all-important competition. HISTORY MAKERS! 😍⚽️The National U17 Women’s Football Team has been camping for three weeks in Kasarani as they prepare for their debut at the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, set to take place in the Dominican Republic.This marks the first time a Kenyan team has ever… pic.twitter.com/7i47pfO9gY— TeamKenya (@OlympicsKe) September 17, 2024 Meris and one other player who featured for Starlets in the qualifying phase are said to have been axed from the team and replaced by new call-ups, a standard move for any squad, but one that has Meris’ mother, Beatrice, worried for her daughter’s well being. “This player has been part of this process way before the Starlets played their first qualifying match. Her first camp was in January. She has sacrificed so much and missed school to chase this dream only to be denied in the end. How is that fair,” Meris’ parent poses, in a phone interview with Mozzart Sport. Seeing as all players in the squad sitting their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) had a special arrangement with the national examining body, Meris’ mother worries her daughter is not mentally prepared to sit for the examination with the rest of the candidates. ‘We will win CAF Confederation Cup after beating Zamalek’- Police Chairman Munga Nyale”When the rest of the squad went for their visa application appointments the two were left behind and were later told that those without Visas would not travel with the team. However, they continued to stay in camp and this has really affected my daughter. She is sad, rightly so, and is not willing to go back to school after this ordeal. She thinks she will be her peers’ laughing stock,” the mother continued. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8342654##FKF Media Liason Ken Okaka, reached for comments, said it was unfortunate that some players who were part of the qualifying tournament would be axed as there was a provisional squad ahead of the trip to the Dominican Republic and everyone was given an opportunity to prove themselves to the coach.He went on to further clarify that all players were given a chance to prove themselves to the head coach Mildred Cheche who is set to announce her final squad on Wednesday 18 September.Okaka insisted that the squad will be selected on merit ahead of the global tourney.##NAJAVA_MECA_8344347##
