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Kenya created chances particularly at the begining of the second half, but Cameroon's time wasting tactics in this period prevented the game from finding any sort of rythm.
Kenya’s Junior Starlets’ second-half pressure was not enough to toss aside a Cameroon outfit that deployed too many time-wasting tactics, as Mildred Cheche’s charges lost 1-0 in the first leg encounter of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup third round qualifier at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday.
Mildred Cheche’s side came into the tie with momentum following a convincing win over Uganda, but found themselves undone by a lapse in concentration and Cameroon’s relentless time-wasting tactics.
Kenya should have been ahead as early as the ninth minute when Joy Angella Valencia picked out Brenda Achieng with a brilliant defense-splitting pass. Achieng got in behind the Cameroonian backline but couldn’t keep her effort on target.
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That miss proved costly when Cameroon took the lead through Tiwa Melong, who capitalized on slack defending from a corner to silence the home crowd under the floodlights.
With her side struggling to gain control, Cheche made a bold decision in the 27th minute, hauling off the out-of-form Achieng—who had netted a hat-trick in the previous round—and introducing Windey Atieno in a bid to inject urgency.
Second half
Kenya began like a house on fire in the second half. In the 46th minute, Cameroon goalkeeper Jessica Mabou was forced into making a frantic save to deny substitute Mitshell Waithera after a shot by Valencia had rattled the crossbar.
Moments later, Waithera should have equalised again when Kenya did well to exploit Cameroon’s high line. Atieno set through Waithera who did well to coast past the onrushing Mabou before getting on the end off the ball, but her left footed shot forced the Cameroon Custodian into making yet another last-ditch save.
Kenya continued to pile on the pressure and in the 54th minute, got another chance when a long ball over the top landed onto the feet of Joan Ogolla, but she blazed the ball agonisingly wide.
Cameroon’s girls started to deploy time-wasting tactics, feigning injuries in attempts to disrupt the rhythm of the game shortly after Joan Ogolla missed another glorious opportunity to equalise.
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From then on, the game became quieter, but in the 86th minute, Patience Asiko, who had come on for Joan Ogolla in the second half, missed another chance for Kenya when she drove with the ball toward the box, but her chance went agonisingly wide of the goal.
She did win a foul in a dangerous area moments later, and from the resultant free kick, Windey Atieno could only test the goalkeeper with a direct shot.
In the end, it was Cameroon that emerged victorious. Kenya must now restrategise on how to turn around fortunes for the second leg if they are to stand a chance of sealing qualification to the next round.
Junior Starlets XI: Velma Abwire, Jenevieve Mithel, Judith Nandwa, Lorine Ilavonga, Elizabeth Ochaka, Halima Imbachi, Edinah Nasipwondi, Mwanakombo Bakari, Brenda Achieng, Joyangela Valencia, Joan Ogola
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