Kenya’s Junior Starlets Set for Spain Pre-World Cup Training Camp

By Samuel Ouma

The Kenya U17 Women’s National Football Team, the Junior Starlets, will depart for Spain on September 19, 2024, for a pre-World Cup training camp, following a slight schedule adjustment.

Initially planned to begin on September 10, the camp was postponed to allow the team more time to fine-tune their local preparations.

This marks a pivotal moment for the Junior Starlets, who are gearing up to debut at the 2024 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in the Dominican Republic. The global tournament will occur from October 16 to November 3, 2024.

With seven days of local training already completed, the team is in high spirits as they focus on sharpening their skills and strategies. Speaking about the significance of this achievement, team captain Elizabeth Ochaka expressed the team's pride and determination.

"Qualifying for the World Cup is a huge achievement, especially being the first Kenyan team to do it in the world of football. We don’t take this chance for granted," Ochaka said.

 "Our goal is to go there and compete, not just participate."

Ochaka also highlighted the immense opportunities of playing on the world stage.

 “Playing at the World Cup will bring us many opportunities, like getting scouted to play for international teams, which has always been a dream for many of us.”

The Spain camp will provide the Junior Starlets with top-notch facilities and competitive matches, which will be crucial as they prepare to face some of the world’s strongest teams.

The team will begin their World Cup campaign on October 18 against England, followed by a match against Korea DPR on October 20, before wrapping up their group stage on October 24 against Mexico.