Junior Starlets skipper Elizabeth Ochaka has opened up on her big ambitions of setting up an academy later on in her career should she earn a move to Europe.The defender is also confident that Kenya will cruise past Mexico in their final showdown of the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup on Thursday.The crunch tie will be staged in the wee hours (2 am Kenyan time) at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.Kenya has already battled England and two-time champions North Korea where Junior Starlets went down fighting.”We have noted some key mistakes we made in the two matches, we can’t reveal them for now, we hope to implement the changes against Mexico. We are optimistic the notable changes will bore results,” Ochaka underlined.The Kenya Police Bullets FC defender defended the team’s run in the tournament, observing that the level was slightly higher.##NAJAVA_MECA_8424521##She asked Kenyans to back the team in the final assignment which the team hopes to win and bow out with their heads held high.”We have really tried our best in this tournament, it’s not easy over here, but we are giving our best in the games. To the fans, kindly continue supporting us, don’t give up, just cheer us a little bit (more),” she reiterated.Kenyan football infrastructure is behind by 40 years, claims Harambee Stars coach FiratOchaka said the lessons picked will go a long way in making the team better.She believes that the team will return to the subsequent edition, set for Morocco, better and stronger.”The spectators should know that it’s not easy to qualify for such a tournament, and this is our first time so everything is a learning curve. Participating in this championship is already an achievement in itself, going by the magnitude of this event. And from the lessons we have learnt, we hope to come back bigger, better, stronger and fitter in the next edition to be hosted in Morocco next year which will also be expanded to 26 teams,” Ochaka highlighted.##NAJAVA_MECA_8435819##England and North Korea are in the driving seat of Group C as both teams have six points apiece while Kenya and Mexico are yet to get a point.Playing at the World Cup really means a lot to soft-spoken Ochaka, who also has personal ambitions in the Dominican Republic.Kenyan midfielder benched as AIK strike late to floor GoteborgOne of her aims was to put her best foot forward in the tournament in order to attract the attention of scouts and earn a move to Europe.Her mission in the beautiful game, in case she lands a good deal in Europe, is to come back to Kenya and support other struggling teams.She also has a vision to set up a very successful academy that can give local players a link to other European leagues.Away from football, Ochaka whose role model in life is Chelsea Women FC defender Lauren James, would love to work as a policewoman.
