The Rising Starlets have an uphill task when they play Uganda on Friday, 8 October 2021 in the second leg of the first round of the FIFA U-2- World Cup Costa Rica 2022 qualifiers set for St. Mary’s Kitende in Uganda.
The Kenyans suffered a 7-2 defeat in their first leg fixture that was played at the Nyayo National Stadium a fortnight ago and they will be seeking to overturn the results to qualify for the second round.
This fixture will be a tricky one for Kenya since the Ugandans have shown their power and desire to proceed to the next level thanks to their immense preparations and playing at home will also be an added advantage for the host.
The Ugandans also have their top strikers in Juliet Nalikenge and Sumaya Komuntale who scored a brace each in the first leg and they will unquestionably continue to score in the second leg.
Nalukenge is very experienced played having played for the national team from a junior level and her contribution will be expected in this match. She led the U-17 national team to CECAFA and COSAFA titles.
The former Kawembe Muslim player in Nalukenge joined professional ranks in the Cypriot First Division outfit Apollon Ladies Football Club in September this year. The youngster won the Ugandan Women’s Player of the Year in 2019 and this year, she finished ninth in the Goal NXGN Award for the best young footballer in the World. Nalukenge will pose as a real threat to the Kenyans.
In his first assignment since being appointed as the head coach of the National team, Harambee Starlets, Charles Okere has his hopes on Shaylene Opiso who scored a brace in their first leg encounter.
The Rising Starlets have found it difficult to replicate the 2012 side that reached the third and penultimate round of the qualifiers under coach Florence Adhiambo when they lost to Tunisia in the two-legged fixture.
In the 2017 qualifiers, Kenya went past Ethiopia in the first round of the qualifiers with a 4-2 aggregate but failed to go past West Africa’s powerhouse Ghana when they bowed out on 10-1 aggregate.
Second Round Fixtures
South Africa vs Mozambique
Malawi vs Zambia
Namibia vs Burundi
Bukina Faso vs Gambia
Tanzania vs Eritrea
Morocco vs Benin
Senegal vs Mali
Botswana vs Angola
Congo vs Egypt
Siera Leone vs Guinea
Cameroon vs RD Congo
Nigeria vs Central African Republic.
By Rebecca Gichana