By OUR CORRESPONDENT
Kenya’s U20 girls’ national team – Rising Starlets – has been handed a bye to the second round of the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
Kenya will start their campaign with an exciting clash against Ethiopia in the second round.
The draw, conducted by CAF (Confédération Africaine de Football) on Thursday, December 12, 2024, in Cairo, Egypt, marks the start of Africa’s journey to determine the four teams that will represent the continent on the global stage.
The qualifiers will span four intense rounds.
The second round is set for September 19–21, 2025 for the first leg, with the return leg scheduled for September 26–28, 2025 The third round will follow early next year, with ties on February 6–8, 2026, and February 12–14, 2026.
Finally, the fourth and decisive round will take place on May 1–3, 2026 (first leg) and May 8–10, 2026 (second leg) to determine Africa’s representatives for the global showpiece, according to communication from the Football Kenya Federation.
The Rising Starlets have their sights on securing a spot in their first World Cup qualification and making their imprint in history as the second team to take Kenya to the World Cup stage.
