Eight teams from the CECAFA Zone have been drawn to play in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2026 African qualifiers.

The Kenya Junior Starlets who played in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2024 in the Dominican Republic will face Namibia in the first round.

A total of 31 teams will be involved in the qualifiers which kick-off in April, 2026. The qualifiers will be played in three knockout rounds, and the best four teams will qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Finals in Morocco.

The draw was conducted on Saturday in Rabat, Morocco where TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is currently taking place. Jacqueline Shipanga, the technical Director of the Namibia Football Federation, CAF Elite Instructor was the draw assistant.

In-case the Kenya Junior Starlets qualifies for the second round they will meet the winner between Zimbabwe and Uganda. Interestingly CECAFA tams Kenya and Tanzania could meet in the final third round hurdle if they managed to sail through their first and second round matches.

Rwanda have been placed against Zambia, while Djibouti take on DR Congo in other first round matches. It will be an all CECAFA affair when South Sudan take on Ethiopia.

While the first round maches take center stage April 10-19^th, the  second round matches of the qualifiers will take place between May 22-31^st, and the final third round takes place between July 3-12^th, 2026

First round

Niger vs Guinea

Burkina Faso vs Benin

Sierra Leone vs Core d’Ivoire

Tunisia vs Senegal

Algeria vs Cameroon

Togo vs Ghana

Libya vs Liberia

Rwanda vs Zambia

DR Congo vs Djibouti

South Sudan vs Ethiopia

Malawi vs Burundi

Botswana vs Tanzania

Central African Republic vs South Africa

Zimbabwe vs Uganda

Namibia vs Kenya

The Kenya Junior Starlets have ejected Uganda and will now face Cameroon in the third and final round of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2025 qualifiers are

Kenya Junior Starlets eliminated Uganda 5-0 on goal aggregate to book a place in the next round

After winning the first leg 2-0, the Kenyan team humbled Uganda Teen Cranes 3-0 in the return leg played at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi on Sunday.

Patience Asiko netted an early goal after 5 minutes, and Brenda Achieng recorded a second half brace to guide Kenya Junior Starlets to the next round.

Kenya will now face Cameroon who ejected Ethiopia 6-2 on aggregate. Kenya are chasing a second appearance at the FIFA U-17 World Cup after featuring in last year in Dominican Republic.

On Saturday Tanzania suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Zambia at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola to bow out on a 4-0 goal aggregate.

Burundi were also eliminated by Ivory Coast by after losing the return le 3-0 to bow out on a 4-3 goal aggregate.

Four teams will qualify from Africa alongside hosts Morocco will qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Three teams from the CECAFA Zone have all suffered defeats in their respective first leg encounters of the second round in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2025 qualifiers.

Tanzania’s Serengeti Girls suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Zambia in a match played at the Azam Complex Stadium in Chamazi on Sunday.

After a goalless first half, Zambia’s Copper Princesses scored through Grace Phiri and a brace by Mercy Chipasula.

On Saturday Edinah Nasipwondi and Joan Ogola scored to ensure Kenya Junior Starlets picked a vital away win against Uganda in a match played at the Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo.

The match was also graced by former Senegal and Liverpool top striker El Haji Diouf.

Away in Cameroon the Ethiopian team suffered a 5-2 defeat. Later tonight Burundi will play away to Ivory Coast at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.

The final round for the CECAFA teams in the qualifiers will see the winner between Kenya and Uganda face the winner between Cameroon and Ethiopia.

The winner between Tanzania and Zambia will take on the winner between Benin and DR Congo, while the winner between Ivory Coast and Burundi takes on the winner between Sierra Leone and Guinea.

The 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will take place in Morocco. Africa will be represented by five teams at the tournament.

Uganda Teen Cranes have advanced to the second round of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025 qualifiers.

The Teen Cranes defeated Namibia 8-1 in the second leg played on Sunday at the Hamz Stadium, Nakibubo in Kampala.  

Coach Chryl Botes Ulanda’s team went ahead to advance on an 18-1 goal aggregate after they won the first leg 10-0.

Namibai’s Renalda Angel Tamara netted an own goal 15 minutes when she deflected a shot in her own net. Joan Kizza Namulindwa and Isabella Blick also got their names on the score sheet for Uganda to make it 3-0 at the interval.

In the second half, the Namibia team tried to re-organise themselves, but still failed to penetrate the Ugandan defending line. Namulindwa later scored her second goal after 50 minutes, while Rinah Ariho, and substitutes Shadia Nabirye and Rashida Nakalema also scored.

Namibia’s lone goal was netted by Shiwovanhu Haukongo.

Ulanda praised her team for the good display in the two legs. “We played very well and the team was really attacking well,” added the coach. Uganda will now face Kenya in the second round in March this year.

The other teams from the CECAFA Zone that will play in the second round include; Ethiopia, Tanzania and Burundi.