Why Rising Starlets failed to beat Ethiopia in Addis
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 23.09.25. | 10:17
She was nonetheless grateful that her side avoided defeat, noting that the away goal gives them an advantage
Kenya U20 girls’ team head coach Jackline Juma has faulted a soggy pitch and her players’ wastefulness for the team’s 1-1 draw against Ethiopia in the first leg of the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers played in Addis Ababa on Sunday afternoon.
Rising Starlets walked into the Abebe Bikila Stadium hoping to secure an away win, and they made a dream start when Elizabeth Mideva fired them ahead inside the first minute.
The pitch was heavily soaked before kick-off, and there were fears the match could be called off as the pitch was unplayable and safety concerns.
Despite the difficult conditions, the game was played.
Mideva’s opener gave Kenya an early lead, but Emush Daniel equalized in the second half.
There was a sense that Starlets goalkeeper Christine Adhiambo should have done better to deny the hosts from restoring parity.
The team returned home on Monday, and in an interview, Juma explained what went wrong in Addis.
She pointed to the heavy downpour and her team’s lack of a clinical edge in attack as the main reasons for not winning.
“The match was very entertaining, but the rains affected us. We also missed numerous chances, especially in the first half. Going into Sunday’s match, we must correct those mistakes. The strikers need to score early goals and maintain the tempo. We conceded because of a mistake on our end, but our players gave their best,” she told Citizen Digital.
She was nonetheless grateful that her side avoided defeat, noting that the away goal gives them an advantage.
She also highlighted her defense as an area that needs tightening.
“We thank God because we have an away goal, which is a plus for us. In the home game, we have to work on our defensive line because there were too many penetrating passes,” she added.
Midfielder Halima Imbachi, who also captains the Kenya U17 team, said scoring early gave them a boost and expressed confidence that they will finish the job in the return leg to book a third-round tie against either Tanzania or Angola.
“We began with high spirits, and scoring early was a big advantage. Ethiopia had their fans and everything in their favour, but we are ready for Sunday’s match. Playing at home, I’m sure our fans will motivate us a lot,” said Imbachi.
The two teams will meet again at the Ulinzi Sports Complex on Sunday, September 28.
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