“We are ready for Cameroon” – Ilavonga confident Junior Starlets can seal World Cup slot
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 15.04.25. | 20:08
A win over Cameroon would be a historic milestone for the rising stars, marking Kenya’s second consecutive appearance on the global stage
Junior Starlets defender Lorrine Ilavonga believes Kenya has what it takes to beat Cameroon and book a ticket to the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
A win over Cameroon would be a historic milestone for the Starlets, marking Kenya’s second consecutive appearance on the global stage.
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The Starlets will face Cameroon in the final round of the qualifiers, with the first leg set for Sunday, 20 April, at Nyayo Stadium. The return leg will be played on 25 April at Stade Olembe in Yaoundé.
Ilavonga, who also features for FKF Women Premier League side Ulinzi Starlets, is confident in the team’s readiness.
“The team is psyched up, the morale is high, and we’ve gained the confidence we need,” she said.
Drawing from her World Cup experience in the Dominican Republic, Ilavonga believes the team is now battle-hardened and ready to face any opponent.
The promising defender played the full 180 minutes in matches against heavyweights North Korea and England at last year’s tournament — experience she says transformed their mindset.
“At the World Cup, we learned a lot. Even in our recent friendlies, we weren’t intimidated. When we played Morocco, we weren’t terrified because we’d already faced top teams like England. That gave us belief,” she added.
The Junior Starlets returned to the country on April 10 after international friendlies in Morocco.
They capped their North African trip on a high note, beating Morocco 2-0 in their second friendly on 8 April at the Mohammed VI Sports Complex. T
he first match on 4 April had ended in a 1-1 draw.
Their ticket to the final qualifying round came after a dominant performance against Uganda, where they showed skill and resilience to seal a 5-0 aggregate win over their regional rivals.
The 9th edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will take place in Morocco from 7 October to 8 November 2025, and Kenya is now just one step away from making back-to-back appearances.
