Kenya U17 women’s national team head coach Mildred Cheche has been named the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) Coach of the Month for March, following her stellar leadership of the Junior Starlets.Cheche was honored during an award ceremony held at a hotel in Kasarani on Tuesday morning. She earned the recognition after guiding the Junior Starlets to an emphatic 5-0 aggregate win over Uganda in the second round of the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.The Junior Starlets secured a 2-0 away victory in Kampala, Uganda before completing the job with a 3-0 win at home.##NAJAVA_MECA_8859677##This triumph propels the Junior Starlets to the third and final qualification round, where they will face Cameroon in a two-legged tie for a spot in the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup set for October.Should they prevail, it will mark back-to-back World Cup appearances for Cheche and her team. In 2024, she led the Junior Starlets to their historic debut on the global stage in the Dominican Republic—the first-ever World Cup appearance for any Kenyan football team.Though the Starlets exited at the group stage hurdle, they impressed with a 2-1 win over Mexico, following earlier defeats to England and North Korea.President Ruto’s promise to Kenya U20 team if they reach AFCON finalIn the March SJAK rankings, Kabras Sugar RFC head coach Carlos Katya came second after a strong month that saw his side reach the Kenya Cup final, notching wins over Menengai Oilers (20-14), KCB (25-17), and Nondescripts (45-6).Kenya Police FC head coach Etienne Ndayiragire claimed third place. Under his leadership, the team held AFC Leopards to a goalless draw, hammered Murang’a Seal 3-1, and edged Posta Rangers 1-0.Cheche expressed gratitude upon receiving the award, noting that the gong will spur on the entire team as they prepare to face Cameroon.Ambrose Rachier revisits plans to construct Gor Mahia’s stadium after re-election“I dedicate this award to the Junior Starlets players and our entire technical bench. Without their hard work and support, this achievement wouldn’t have been possible. This recognition motivates us even more as we prepare to face Cameroon in our upcoming qualifier. I also sincerely thank SJAK for this wonderful initiative.”SJAK President James Waindi praised the continued support from sponsors and congratulated the coach:“We are proud to once again recognize excellence in coaching, thanks to our partners who continue to support sports development in Kenya. Congratulations to coach Cheche for her outstanding work in March.”Cheche received a trophy and a cash prize of Ksh100,000 for her efforts.Kenyan referee set to officiate at 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
