Kenya’s U20 Women’s National team, the Rising Starlets, cruised into the third round of the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup African qualifiers after a commanding 4-0 victory over Ethiopia in the return leg played on Sunday, September 28, 2025, at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi.
The Rising Starlets, led by head coach Jackline Juma, progressed 5-1 on aggregate after drawing 1-1 in the first leg at Lake Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa.
Valerie Nekesa opened the scoring inside four minutes, heading home from a cross to give Kenya the perfect start. Twelve minutes later, Elizabeth Mideva doubled the advantage with another header after connecting with Fasila Odhiambo’s delivery from the right wing.
Captain Fasila Odhiambo made it 3-0 in the 28th minute with a stunning strike from a tight angle on the right, beating Ethiopia’s goalkeeper Abeba Ajebo to extend Kenya’s lead before halftime.
After the break, Kenya continued to dominate. In the 67th minute, a flowing move saw Mideva link up with Fasila, whose effort was saved but only as far as Mideva, who slotted home her second of the day and Kenya’s fourth.
Mideva nearly grabbed a hat-trick in the 73rd minute but was denied by the woodwork, but the damage was already done as Kenya sealed a convincing 4-0 win.
The emphatic result means Kenya, who received a bye in the first round, advance to the third round of qualifiers where they will face Tanzania who beat Angola 7-0 on aggregate in February 2026.
Speaking after the match, Ethiopia head coach Chalew Lemecha admitted his side was unsettled by Kenya’s fast start: “The players didn’t bring the mentality they were trained for when they came to the field. The first few minutes are crucial, and after conceding the early goal, the players went into panic mode, and we couldn’t get them out of it.”
On her part, Rising Starlets head coach Jackline Juma explained Kenya’s approach:
“In Addis we had challenges because of the floods, which disrupted our plan. At home we wanted to keep possession and counter-press since Ethiopia are very good on the ball. We also knew the first 10 minutes would be key. We were aiming to get an early goal because in Ethiopia we scored in just 36 seconds, and once again here we wanted to unsettle them quickly and it worked.”
The qualifiers will determine Africa’s representatives at the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, set for September 5–27.
The global showpiece will feature 24 teams, with Poland making their debut as hosts. Korea DPR are the reigning champions, having won their third title in Colombia 2024.
