ON THE CUSP OF GLORY: Junior Starlets scent World Cup dream

Source: Capital FM Kenya
Author: Timothy Olobulu

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 16 - Kenya stands on the cusp of history, sending a team to the FIFA World Cup for the first time ever, as the Junior Starlets face Burundi in the return tie of the final qualifier for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup on Sunday afternoon at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.

Kenya leads the CECAFA neighbors 3-0 from the first leg played away from home in Addis Ababa last weekend, and the girls have one hand on a ticket to the Dominican Republic if they can avoid defeat at home.

The team is charged up for the push towards history, and captain Elizabeth Ochaka says the girls are sharp in focus and have their eyes firmly fixed on the prize.

"We are playing at home and we have that confidence, we have that spirit and belief. We want to give our all to win that match and qualify for the World Cup," Ochaka said after the team's final training session on Saturday.

A clinical 3-0 win away from home put them firmly in control of the tie, but Ochaka knows that football can turn on its head any minute and has asked her teammates to ensure they focus for the entire 90 minutes.

"We can't underrate them simply because we beat them 3-0 in the first leg. We have to take the game seriously as though we are at 0-0," the defender noted.

Her sentiments are shared by head coach Mildred Cheche, who says the team is approaching the game with the same seriousness they would if they were at 0-0.

"Burundi come in with the belief that they can get the three goals back and we have a big task of maintaining the lead. We have to approach the game very cautiously," Cheche said, speaking ahead of the game.

She added; "Playing at home also comes with a lot of pressure and we have to sustain that. We have to improve a lot of things from the first leg and I believe that we will give a good performance."

The tactician says the team is spurred on by the allure of history, and knowing that playing at a World Cup is a grand opportunity to let go.

"We keep dreaming. This is a big opportunity for us and we are closer than ever to make history. We want to make that dream come true," stated the coach.

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has announced free entry for the Sunday afternoon game at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, in a bid to ensure that the girls get maximum support. Several teams from other sports, including the national women's volleyball team, the Malkia Strikers, will also attend the game to give the youngsters motivation.

The game kicks off at 3pm, and fans wishing to attend the game have been asked to ensure they come with their national ID cards, due to military protocol in accessing their facilities.