U17 Women’s World Cup: Kenya drawn with USA, Samoa and China

Kenya will face the United States, Samoa and the Republic of China in Group E at the U17 Women’s World Cup as the Junior Starlets return to the tournament for their second appearance.

The Junior Starlets will begin their campaign against China on Monday, 19 October, before facing the United States and Samoa in their remaining first-round matches.

Kenya’s opening fixture against China is scheduled for 3:00 PM on Monday, October 19.

They will then take on the United States on Thursday, October 22, with the match scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM.

Kenya will complete their first-round campaign against Samoa on Sunday, October 25, in another 6:00 PM kick-off.

The Junior Starlets will be looking to improve on their first appearance at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2024.

Kenya failed to qualify for the 2025 edition but have returned to the competition this year with ambitions of progressing beyond the group stage.

Their debut campaign in 2024 ended in the first round, despite a memorable 2-1 victory over Mexico in their third match.

The Junior Starlets had suffered defeats in their opening two games, losing 2-0 to England and 3-0 to North Korea.

Those results left Kenya unable to advance to the second round, despite their victory over Mexico in their final group match.

This time, Kenya face another difficult challenge in a group featuring teams with experience of competing at the highest level of the tournament.

The United States are among the most established sides in the competition and reached the final of the U17 Women’s World Cup in 2008.

Kenya will therefore need a strong start to their campaign if they are to challenge for a place in the next round.

The Junior Starlets’ first-round schedule is:

Monday, October 19, 3:00 PM: Kenya vs China

Thursday, October 22, 6:00 PM: United States vs Kenya

Sunday, October 25, 6:00 PM: Samoa vs Kenya