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.
This 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.
In the draw conducted by CAF (Confédération Africaine de Football) on Thursday, December 12, 2024 in Cairo, Egypt, Kenya is set to face the winner between Namibia and Uganda in the second round of qualifiers.
The journey to Morocco, where the World Cup will be hosted for the first time from October 17 to November 8, 2025, will see Africa fielding five representatives in the global showpiece.
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.
Rising Starlets World Cup Qualifier Journey Begins Against Ethiopia
Meanwhile, Rising Starlets, The Kenya’s U20 girls’ national team, are gearing up to kickstart their 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign with an exciting clash against Ethiopia in the second round.
The draw, conducted by CAF (Confédération Africaine de Football) on Thursday, December 12, 2024, in Cairo, Egypt, marks the start of Africa’s journey to determine the four teams that will represent the continent on the global stage.
The qualifiers will span four intense rounds. The second round is set for September 19–21, 2025 for the first leg, with the return leg scheduled 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.
Finally, the fourth 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.
The Rising Starlets have their sights on securing a spot in their first World Cup qualification and making their imprint in history as the second team to take Kenya to the World Cup stage.
