Kenya may have prematurely exited the ongoing 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic, but the memories still linger for some teams and players Junior Starlets faced in the tournament.One of those players is England’s captain, Laila Harbert, who reflected on their encounter with Kenya, a team that made history by defeating Mexico in the group stage during their debut appearance.##NAJAVA_MECA_8449361##Harbert, who plays as a central midfielder for Arsenal Women FC, described playing against Kenya as one of her most memorable experiences at the World Cup.”It was our opening match, which made it really special for us because we wanted to make a strong start in the competition,” Harbert said.”We expected to score a lot of goals against Kenya, but their players were incredibly resilient. In the end, they gave us a tough game, and the final score wasn’t what we anticipated. Kenya was prepared to give their best, and they really pushed us.”Harbert added that Kenya’s performance in the tournament was impressive, noting that they were not only worthy opponents but also made history by securing a win in the group stage, something few expected.Kenyan ambassador honoured by Michael Olunga’s club in QatarHer sentiments were echoed by England’s prolific defender Las Nelly, who described Kenya as a skilled but physically tough side. “Kenya gave us a real challenge, and it’s something we’ll remember because it was our first match of the tournament,” said Nelly, who plays for Leicester City Women FC.England coach Natalie Henderson also admitted that playing against Kenya was more difficult than she had anticipated.”We studied Kenya before the match since we hadn’t seen them play before. We knew they were going to be physical, but they showed both class and character throughout the game. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8457039##They pushed my team to work harder, and it was a valuable learning experience for my players,” said Henderson.Henderson believes that with the right training, investment in women’s football, and the development of youth academies, Kenya has the potential to excel in future World Cup tournaments.She emphasized the importance of keeping the players together and allowing them to grow through different age groups, similar to England’s approach.Gor Mahia fans force captain to apologise after first defeat of season [VIDEO]Though England is considered one of the favourites in this year’s championship, their best performance at the U17 Women’s World Cup so far has been reaching the quarterfinals in 2016.On Sunday, they advanced to the semifinals after a dramatic 4-1 win on penalties against Japan, following a 2-2 draw in regulation time.The semifinal match is set to take place at Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium in Santo Domingo on Friday, where England will face Spain.Harbert credited their aggressive second-half performance for overcoming Japan, who led 2-1 at halftime. “Facing Japan was tough, so we’ll take a moment to celebrate before we start preparing for Spain,” said Harbert. “Our dream is to win this tournament, and we’ll give it everything to make that happen.”Nelly, along with coach Henderson, attributed their success against Japan to teamwork, resilience, and focus. “We know Spain is a tough team, but right now, we just want to enjoy this victory before we start planning for the semifinals,” Henderson concluded.South Sudan coach reveals tactics used in CHAN Qualifiers win over Harambee Stars
