Kenya’s Junior Starlets began their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign with a 3-0 defeat to China on Monday, October 19, after conceding once in the first half and twice within three minutes after the restart.
Xu Yue opened the scoring for China in the 12th minute before Xu Xiaotang struck twice in the 50th and 53rd minutes to secure a three-goal advantage for the Asian side in the Group E encounter at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Morocco.
China took the lead 12 minutes into the match through Xu Yue, giving Kenya an early setback in their second appearance at the global under-17 women’s tournament.
The Junior Starlets went into the break trailing by a goal before Xu Xiaotang extended China’s advantage five minutes into the second half. The forward struck again three minutes later, leaving Kenya with a three-goal deficit as the match progressed.
The two quick second-half goals proved decisive in widening the gap between the sides, with China establishing a commanding position after the opening goal had separated the teams in the first half.
The result marks a difficult start for Kenya, who are seeking to progress beyond the group stage at the tournament being held in Morocco from October 17 to November 7.
The Junior Starlets qualified for the 2026 edition after defeating South Africa 5-1 on aggregate in the final round of African qualifying.
Their return follows their historic debut at the 2024 tournament in the Dominican Republic, where they recorded their first victory at the competition with a 2-1 win over Mexico.
The squad travelled to Morocco ahead of the tournament to prepare for the challenge of facing teams from different footballing regions.
China, meanwhile, are making their fifth appearance at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. They reached the round of 16 at the 2025 edition and are seeking to improve on that performance in Morocco.
The two teams are drawn in Group E alongside the United States and Samoa, leaving Kenya with two remaining fixtures in the opening round.
The Junior Starlets will face the United States on Thursday, October 22, before taking on Samoa on Sunday, October 25, in their final group-stage match.
Kenya will need positive results in those encounters to strengthen their chances of advancing to the knockout stage as the tournament continues.
