History beckons once again for the Kenya U17 Women’s National Team, affectionately known as the Junior Starlets, who are eying back-to-back U17 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more newsLast year, they wrote their name in the history books as the first Kenyan football team—men or women—to qualify for a FIFA World Cup. Now, they are daring to dream again.But standing in their path are the formidable Baby Lionesses of Cameroon, who left Nairobi with a slender 1-0 advantage following a tightly contested first-leg encounter at the Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday.Kenyans express confidence in Kenya U17 overturning loss to CameroonTiwa Melong delivered the decisive blow in the 25th minute, rising highest from a corner to head home what turned out to be the match-winner.It was a moment that underlined Cameroon’s physical dominance in the air and set the tone for the rest of the game. Yet, for all the Baby Lionesses’ defensive steel, Kenya can count themselves unlucky not to be heading to Yaoundé with at least a goal of their own.The Junior Starlets hit the crossbar twice, and Mitchel Waithera was left holding her head after missing a golden opportunity in front of an open goal in the second half. But beyond the missed chances, it was Cameroon’s tactical setup and game management that ultimately tipped the balance.##NAJAVA_MECA_8868121##In a surprising move, Kenya’s head coach Mildred Cheche deviated from her usual 4-2-3-1 shape, opting instead for a 4-4-2 formation. Velma Abwire started between the sticks, protected by central defenders Elizabeth Ochaka and Lorine Ilavonga, with Judith Okumu and Jenevive Mithel on the flanks.In midfield, Mwanakombo Bakari and Halima Imbachi held the centre, while Joan Ogola and Edinah Nasipwondi provided width. Up top, JoyAngela Valencia and Brenda Achieng led the line.The switch was bold. Cheche’s side thrives when they control the middle of the park, using numerical overloads to feed dynamic wingers like Ogola and Nasipwondi, both of whom had starred in the previous round against Uganda. But Cameroon had done their homework.Kenya U17 head coach explains subbing off star forward after 27 minutesCoach Joseph Ndoko mirrored Kenya’s 4-4-2 formation—but with a tactical twist. Instead of playing with traditional wingers, he packed the midfield with four central players: Mbida Vasterio, Atouba Djangue, Zoua Yolande, and Dule Karen. This narrow setup was designed to suffocate Kenya’s rhythm, and it worked like a charm.With Yolande and Djangue shadowing Bakari and Imbachi relentlessly, Kenya struggled to connect midfield to attack. Starved of their usual build-up play, the Starlets were forced into long balls and rushed passes—easy pickings for Cameroon’s more physically dominant defenders.Sensing Kenya’s threat down the left flank, where Valencia and Ogola were beginning to find joy against the slower Ngassa Yolande, Ndoko made another smart move—swapping fullbacks. Ngong Chelsea moved to the left, and Ngassa switched to the right, effectively shutting down that channel.##NAJAVA_MECA_8868151##And then came the sucker punch. In the 26th minute, Tiwa Melong rose above the pack during a corner to nod home, and suddenly, Kenya were chasing the game.Cheche reacted swiftly, bringing on Lindey Weey Atieno for Brenda Achieng and reverting to her tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1. The change had an immediate impact. Atieno brought composure and link-up play, allowing Imbachi and Bakari more time on the ball. Kenya began to look more like themselves, but the breakthrough remained elusive.In the second half, Cheche introduced Mitchel Waithera for Valencia, adding energy and a higher shot volume to the attack. Waithera nearly made an instant impact when a poor clearance from the Cameroonian keeper gifted her a chance with the goal gaping, but Jessica Mabou recovered in time to deny her.Kenya U17 captain on what must be done to overturn loss to CameroonWith Atieno pulling the strings and Kenya’s midfield pushing higher up the pitch, Starlets laid siege on Cameroon’s box. Bakari came closest, smashing a rocket from outside the area that rattled the crossbar. But just when it looked like the pressure would pay off, Cameroon turned to the dark arts of game management.Mabou, the Cameroonian keeper, went down multiple times, prompting lengthy medical stoppages that disrupted Kenya’s rhythm and drained the clock. The Lionesses slowed the tempo expertly, frustrating Starlets and the Nyayo faithful.When the final whistle blew, Cameroon had weathered the storm, preserving their narrow lead ahead of the return leg in Yaoundé on Friday. Kenya may have fallen short in Nairobi, but with their attacking quality and the hunger to make history again, the dream is far from over.##NAJAVA_MECA_8868092##One goal. One game. One shot at rewriting history—again.
