Junior Starlets head coach Mildred Cheche has praised her players for their progress at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup despite Kenya’s elimination following a 3-1 defeat to Japan in the Round of 16 on Thursday, October 29.
Kenya's second appearance at the global tournament ended at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé, Morocco, after Japan overturned an early deficit to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Brenda Achieng gave the Junior Starlets the lead in the 29th minute, becoming the first player to score against Japan in the tournament. However, the advantage lasted only seven minutes before Mei Hanashiro restored parity in the 36th minute.
Japan completed the comeback in the second half when Nanami Kurita scored in the 59th minute before substitute Asuka Tanaka added the third in the 75th minute to secure the victory.
Despite the disappointment, Cheche pointed to the team's improvement since their maiden appearance at the competition in 2024, when they failed to advance beyond the group stage.
“I am proud of the girls because they played well compared to other games. This is our second World Cup and we have seen tremendous improvement. It’s just a step at a time; one day we will get there,” Cheche said after the match.
The elimination came after Kenya had already secured a historic milestone by reaching the knockout stage for the first time in their World Cup history.
The Junior Starlets entered the Round of 16 following a 4-0 victory over Samoa in their final Group E fixture on Sunday, October 25. The result helped them qualify as one of the four best third-placed teams.
Kenya had opened their campaign with a 3-0 defeat to China before suffering a 6-1 loss against the United States, with Lindey Weey scoring their consolation goal.
The victory over Samoa proved decisive in keeping their campaign alive, allowing Cheche's side to progress beyond the group stage for the first time after their 2024 debut in the Dominican Republic.
During that maiden appearance, Kenya recorded one victory against Mexico but suffered defeats to England and North Korea, finishing third in Group C without advancing to the knockout rounds.
Their latest campaign therefore represents progress for the young national side, which managed to reach the last 16 despite facing difficult opposition in the group stage.
Japan, meanwhile, advanced to the quarter-finals to face Ghana as they continued their pursuit of another global title. The Asian side, which won the competition in 2014, also maintained its record of reaching at least the quarter-finals in every edition.
Although the Junior Starlets could not extend their historic run, their maiden knockout-stage appearance marks an important milestone for Kenya's women's youth football development.
