World Cup bound Cheche shuts door on Harambee Stars coaching role
Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 20.07.26. | 20:43
The Harambee Stars coaching position is expected to become vacant after the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations
Kenya U17 women's national team coach Mildred Cheche has poured cold water on suggestions that she could one day take over Harambee Stars.
She says her mission lies in advancing women's football rather than pursuing the men's national team job.
Cheche has seen her profile soar after leading the Junior Starlets to a second FIFA U17 Women's World Cup.
Junior Starlets secured qualification courtesy of a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory over South Africa in the final qualification round.
The achievement sparked widespread praise from supporters, with some urging the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to consider her for the Harambee Stars role in the future.
But the celebrated tactician has made it clear that replacing Benni McCarthy is not something she is thinking about.
“The men’s team, no. No way at this moment,” Cheche said on Sporty FM. “First, empower the girl child because I am a girl child myself.”
Rather than chasing a move to the senior men's side, Cheche says she feels a responsibility to continue building on the progress women's football has made in Kenya.
“Before thinking about Harambee Stars or the other teams, I think about the girl child because for years, and if you look at previous years, we have never seen women at this level.”
Cheche believes stepping away now would halt the momentum that has seen Kenya's women's teams become increasingly competitive on the continental and global stage.
“Most of the time, it is about men going to this and that competition, but we have now got to see what women can do. So that has to continue, and for that to continue, I cannot leave now and go to that other side.”
Having become the first coach to guide a Kenyan team to a FIFA World Cup in 2024, Cheche has since repeated the feat by booking another ticket to the global tournament, which will be held in Morocco from 17 October to 7 November.
The Harambee Stars coaching position is expected to become vacant after the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), with McCarthy's contract due to expire at the end of the tournament.
The South African legend, who was appointed by the FKF last year, is contracted to lead the national team through the continental showpiece, which Kenya will co-host alongside Uganda and Tanzania. As the three host nations, they have already secured automatic qualification for the tournament.
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