African representatives in the FIFA U-17 World Cup; Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia learn their group stage opponents, ahead of the tournament in October.
By Oliver Ochieng
African representatives in the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup were handed tricky groups, following the competition’s draw conducted in the Dominican Republic, over the weekend.
No African team has ever won the biennial tournament since its inception in 2008. Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia will be seeking to re-write history, but will have to first come out of what appears to be tricky groups.
The competition kicks off on October 16, with the final scheduled for November 03, 2024 in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic.
Nigeria, a regular fixture in the tournament having participated in 6 out of the last 7 editions, were drawn in Group A alongside hosts Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and New Zealand.
On paper, the group seems fair to Nigeria, given the fact that none of the opponents has ever clinched the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title. The Flamingoes will be looking to improve on their third-place finish in 2022.
Kenya, making their debut in the tournament, face a challenging Group C. They will compete against North Korea, Mexico, and England. North Korea, alongside Spain are the most successful sides in the history of the tournament, having been crowned champions twice, in 2008 and 2016.
Being newcomers, the Junior Starlets will be eager to make their mark on the global stage, but have their work cut out in coming out of the group. The Starlets are the first team in Kenya’s history to ever qualify for any FIFA tournament. The East African side’s first match will be against England on Thursday, October 17, 2024.
Zambia, making a comeback after a 10-year absence completes the African contingent in Group D, where they will face 2014 champions Japan, Poland, and Brazil. The Copper Princesses will need to be at their best to progress from this competitive group.
2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup full draw:
Group A: Dominican Republic, Ecuador, New Zealand, Nigeria
Group B: Spain, USA, Korea Republic, Colombia
Group C: Korea DPR, Mexico, Kenya, England
Group D: Japan, Poland, Brazil, Zambia
Mildred Cheche, Kenya’s coach said they will be in the Dominican Republic to compete fiercely, with a view of gaining as much experience as possible.
“Competing at the World Cup is an incredible opportunity for our team. Our primary goal is to gain valuable experience and to showcase the talent and spirit of Kenyan football. We aim to compete fiercely, learn from the best, and grow as a team,” she said, as quoted by CAF online.
“While we are realistic about the challenges ahead, we are also ambitious. We hope to make a significant impact, advance as far as possible, and make our country proud. This experience will be invaluable for the players’ development and for the future of women’s football in Kenya.”
Her Copper Princesses counterpart Carol Kanyemba said the initial goal was to qualify for the World Cup. Now that it is done and dusted, she said holding their own against Japan, Brazil and Poland and coming out of the group is their motivation.
“It feels really good to have qualified for the biggest platform of women’s football at youth level and it is an honour to be at the helm of a team that has qualified for the World Cup. It is an even bigger honour for me to do so as a woman,” she stated.
“The fact that we have qualified was our first goal. Now that we are through to the World Cup, we want to do better than the previous team by going beyond the group stage and perform much better from that point. Once we advance, anything is possible.”
According to Davis Ouma, coach and founder, Kisumu Greenland FC, all the three teams representing Africa in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup have what it takes to lift the trophy, but what matters is the kind of preparations they will put in ahead of the tourney.
“It is open, anyone can win it. Even Kenya can win. The only challenge is that African teams might get it wrong in preparations and fielding of players. I have looked at the Kenya U17 side; though they are winning because they have good players, there’s a lot of fumbling,” he told Sports Network Africa.
“It’s as if they don’t have an approved first 11 or there is a lot of external influence in team selection,” he added.
This year’s edition marks the last time the competition will host 16 nations, with the 2025 tournament in Morocco expanding to 24 teams.
/SPNA
