Michael Magona
The Kenya’s U20 girls’ national team, Rising Starlets are set to kickstart their 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign against Ethiopia in the second round following a draw conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday, December 12, 2024, in Cairo, Egypt.
Africa will be represented by four teams on the global stage with the qualifiers spanning to four intense rounds.
The second round is scheduled for September 19–21, 2025 for the first leg, with the return leg set for September 26–28, 2025. The third round will follow early next year, with ties on February 6–8, 2026, and February 12–14, 2026.
The fourth which will be the final and decisive round will take place on May 1–3, 2026 (first leg) and May 8–10, 2026 (second leg) to determine Africa’s representatives for the global showpiece.
Meanwhile, the Junior Starlets, Kenya’s U17 girls’ national team, have been handed a bye in the opening round of the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
Kenya is now set to face the winner between Namibia and Uganda in the second round of qualifiers.
The advantage comes as a result of their impressive performance in the previous tournament, alongside Nigeria and Zambia, who also secured direct entry into the second round. Burundi, as the highest-ranked non-qualifying team, joins them.
Morocco are set to host the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup from 17 October to 8 November 2025, this will be the first time Africa will be hosting the global event.
The qualifiers will unfold over three rounds. The second-round ties are scheduled for March 7–9, 2025, for the first leg and March 14–16, 2025 for the return leg.
Teams advancing to the third and final round will battle it out between April 18–20, 2025(first leg) and April 25–27, 2025 (second leg) for a coveted World Cup ticket.
With their sights set on securing a spot in their second consecutive World Cup, the Junior Starlets are eager to capitalize on their momentum and build on their legacy as one of Africa’s rising football powerhouses.
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The Kenya’s U20 girls’ national team, Rising Starlets are set to kickstart their…
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