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 for the first leg and March 14–16 for the return leg.
Teams advancing to the third and final round will battle it out between April 18–20 (first leg) and April 25–27 (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.
