Kenya's Junior Starlets beat Samoa 4-0, reach U-17 World Cup last 16; face Japan on 29 October

Kenya's Junior Starlets beat Samoa 4-0 at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco, on 25 October and went through to the round of 16 as one of the four best third-placed teams. Mwanakombo Bakari scored in the 4th and 64th minutes, Brenda Awuor in the 44th and Gaudancia Maloba in the 62nd, FIFA's match record shows.

The Standard and the Kenyan news site Eastleigh Voice said the Junior Starlets are the first Kenyan team to advance beyond the group stage at a FIFA World Cup. Kenya made their debut at the tournament in 2024 in the Dominican Republic and went out in the group stage despite beating Mexico 2-1 in their final match.

Kenya led 2-0 at half-time. Capital FM said Lindey Atieno missed a penalty that would have made it 5-0, parried away by Samoa goalkeeper Susahna Peacock.

Bakari was named player of the match. "Being named Player of the Match was a great feeling, and it came with the assistance of other players in the team," she said, as quoted by Citizen Digital on 26 October. Head coach Mildred Cheche said: "Qualifying for the knockout stage for the first time is history, and now we have a lot to do to overcome heavyweights Japan."

Kenya had lost their first two games, 3-0 to China on 19 October and 6-1 to the US on 22 October. Atieno's goal in that game was Kenya's first of the tournament. Samoa lost all three of their group games: 17-0 to the US, 7-0 to China and 4-0 to Kenya.

China won Group E with nine points from three wins. After beating Kenya, they beat Samoa 7-0 on 22 October and the US 3-2 on 25 October. Liu Yuxi scored in the 7th and 81st minutes and Zhao Jiayi in the 71st; Maddie DiMaria had equalised for the US in the 69th minute, and Ortiz pulled one back for the US in the seventh minute of stoppage time. The US finished second with six points and Kenya third with three.

China play France, second in Group D, in the round of 16 on 29 October at 15:00 UTC (18:00 in Nairobi, 23:00 in Beijing) on Pitch 1 of the complex. The US play Spain, the Group F winners.

The tournament has 24 teams in six groups. The top two in each group and the four best third-placed sides reach the round of 16; the other three third-placed qualifiers are Venezuela, hosts Morocco and Poland.

Japan, the 2014 champions, won Group D with three wins and no goals conceded: 5-0 against Zambia, 2-0 against France and 2-0 against Venezuela. Kenya play them on 29 October at 18:00 UTC (21:00 in Nairobi, 02:00 on 30 October in Beijing) on Pitch 3.