NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 10 – The Rising Starlets will finally head for their pre-tournament training camp in Spain on September 19, an important step as they prepare to make their first ever appearance at the FIFA U17 World Cup.
According to initial plans, the Kenyan girls were supposed to have left for Spain on September 10 to have a three-week camp, but due to logistical issues, the camp has been pushed forward.
The team has been shaping up in residential training at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani, and are now entering week two, with coach Mildred Cheche shaping up the girls towards a first ever appearance at a global event.
“The morale in training has been so high since we started. Competition is really high and everyone is fighting to get that slot to go to the World Cup. We believe in ourselves and we know we are preparing to go and compete and do well,” skipper Elizabeth Ochaka said during one of the team’s training sessions at Kasarani.
The girls faced off with FKF Women’s Premier League side Ulinzi Starlets in a friendly match on Monday, losing 3-1, a game that gave coach Cheche and her technical bench a good picture of where the girls are in terms of readiness.
The team has been boosted with the availability of several players who would have been locked out from the World Cup journey as they are to sit for their final Form Four exams, with the Ministries of Education and Sports having come up with a win-win situation that will see the players sit for special exams.
The girls believe that playing at the World Cup will give them a massive opportunity to progress their careers, with increased exposure and this being the right age for scouting.
“We are going to face big teams in the World Cup, and also the stage is big. It is an opportunity for us to be scouted by teams from Europe and across the world and we want to take this with both hands,” Ochaka said.
Her sentiments are shared by defender Brenda Awuor who says; “My dream has always been to play abroad, and this is an opportunity for us. All of us are ready to grab it.”
The Kenyan girls, on their debut, have been thrown into a tough pool, as they will face off with two time champions North Korea, England and Mexico, who are making their seventh appearance in the global stage.
