Dominant Rising Starlets hammer Ethiopia to book spot in FIFA U20 World Cup Qualifiers third round

Kenya Women’s U20 national team, the Rising Starlets, are through to the third round of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers after thrashing hapless Ethiopia 5-1 on aggregate in the second round ties played in Addis Ababa and Nairobi.

Coming off a 1-1 draw in the away first leg, Rising Starlets scored three goals in 24 first half minutes on their way to recording a big 4-0 victory in the return leg played at Ulinzi Sports Complex on Sunday, 28 September.

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The hosts, shepherded by coach Jackline Juma, scored within the first four minutes through Valerie Nekesa, before relying on the skill of skipper Fasila Adhiambo to eliminate Chalew Lemecha's side, who were not at the races at any point in the game.

Adhiambo, who plies her trade in Tanzania with Simba Queens, teed up Elizabeth Mideva to scoop in a second in the 16th minute, before unleashing a rocket 12 minutes later, to put the tie beyond doubt.

Mideva, who also scored in the first-leg, added her second in the 67th minute, wrapping up a dominant show from the hosts, who will now come up against bitter rivals Tanzania in the third round of qualifiers scheduled for February 2026.

Having underwhelmed in a flooded Abebe Bikila Stadium a week earlier, Rising Starlets knew they had to put on a star performance to stake their claim for a spot at next year's World Cup in Poland, and they did just that.

With an eye for quick goals, it was fitting that the hosts got things underway inside the first three minutes, as one of the remnants from the historic U17 team - Nekesa - sneaked inside the box to head in Sharon Vidah's cross past Abeba Ajibo for the lead.

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Kenya, visibly the better team, had a chance to double the lead through Diana Anyango, but saw her shot trickle wide.

Adhiambo, tasked to the lead the side, then took matters in her own hands (legs) as she engineered the second goal in the 16th minute - finding the lanky Mideva to go underneath and loop over for the second.

When it was her turn to score, Adhiambo pulled a wonder-goal, slicing her shot from the right to the top corner, and with the added beauty of the strike coming off the woodwork.

Lorine Ilavonga should have made it four before the break, but hit her freekick just wide.

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The second half was more of a pedestrian affair for the dominant hosts, and if the tie was not done, then Mideva made it a foregone conclusion with the fourth goal, which was a rebound from Adhiambo's shot inside the box.

The story from the first leg was how a soggy pitch affected play, but on a sunny Sunday in Nairobi, the chasm between both sides was clear.

To the third round they go!