Junior Starlets Hammer Sudan 16-0 in Ruthless CECAFA U-17 Championship Start

The Kenya national under-17 women's football team, Junior Starlets, kicked off their 2026 CECAFA U-17 Women's Championship campaign in astonishing fashion.

They dismantled a helpless Sudan side in a masterclass that sent a warning to the rest of the region.

Playing in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, head coach Mildred Cheche's side put on a clinical offensive display, putting the game to bed before the halftime whistle even blew.

From the first whistle, it was clear that the Junior Starlets meant business. Kenya opened the floodgates in just the sixth minute when forward Brenda Achieng calmly stepped up to convert a penalty from the spot.

The breakthrough shattered Sudan's defensive game plan, and it took less than sixty seconds for Kenya to strike again. In the seventh minute, Fleviah Khatenje doubled the lead, setting the tone for what would become an absolute onslaught.

Achieng was in unplayable form, striking again to net a quick-fire brace and extend the advantage to 4-0. She was not done yet, and by the 33rd minute, Achieng completed an incredible first-half hat-trick, leaving the scoreline at 5-0.

Remarkably, Kenya struck twice more in the same minute. Within the 33rd minute, Achieng bagged her fourth of the afternoon, and just a minute later in the 34th, she slotted home yet another goal to astonishingly put Kenya 7-0 ahead.

In the 35th minute, Elizabeth Opiyo joined the party with a well-taken goal to make it 8-0. Shortly after, Lindey Atieno showed her quality by netting a rapid brace of her own in the 43rd minute to balloon the scoreline to 10-0.

Just before the break, Tabitha Wambui found the back of the net in the 40th minute, Elizabeth Opiyo grabbed another, and Bevarline Otieno got her name on the scoresheet in the 45th minute. By the time the referee signalled for halftime, Kenya had established a staggering, historic lead.

The second half saw a few tactical adjustments as Kenya looked to manage their energy for the long tournament ahead.

However, the goals kept coming. In the 49th minute, the pressure forced an own goal from Sudan's Malaz Abdallah, making it 15-0.

Brenda Achieng capped off her legendary individual performance in the 54th minute, cutting effortlessly through the Sudanese defence to slot home her sixth goal of the match and Kenya's 16th.

This emphatic victory gives Kenya a perfect start in Group A, where they are pooled alongside hosts Tanzania and Somalia.