Tanzania’s Serengeti Girls (U-17) have kick started their UEFA U-18 Friendship Cup 2025 campaign on a winning note with a 1-0 victory against Lebanon on Monday.

Winifrida Gerald netted the lone goal after 87 minutes to hand the Serengeti Girls a Group B win in a match played at the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) training centre in Riva near Istanbul.

The UEFA U-18 Friendship Cup 2025 which has attracted teams from different confederations kicked off today and will climax on April 10^th, 2025.

The UEFA Friendship Cup is a new initiative aimed at creating opportunities for talented young players to gain additional experience playing international football against teams from different confederations.

UEFA seeks to offer a platform for players to experience different playing styles and cultures, be able to exchange knowledge and learn from each other and have new networks from across the globe.

Group A has Zambia, Turkey, Colombia and Thailand, while Group B has Tanzania, Finland, Lebanon and Jamaica.

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.

Three teams from the CECAFA Zone Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia have cruised through to the second round of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026 qualifiers.

After Ethiopia ejected Uganda 5-4 on penalties, Kenya saw off Tunisia 1-0, while Tanzania drew 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea to qualify on a 4-2 goal aggregate.

In a game played in at the Stade Olympique de Sousse, Terry Engesha netted an early goal to give the Harambee Starlets advantage.

Kenya’s goalkeeper Lilian Awuor also played a pivotal role saving two penalties to ensure her team made it to the next round 1-0 on goal aggregate. Kenya will now face Gambia in the second and final round in October

Tanzania also cruised through after holding hosts Equatorial Guinea to a 1-1 draw in Malabo to qualify on a 4-2 goal aggregate. Chuigoue Dorine Nina gave the hosts the lead in the first half, but Enekia Kasonga leveld matters for Tanzania after 73 minutes. Tanzania will now face Ethiopia in the second round.

The other teams from the CECAFA Zone South Sudan, Djibouti, Burundi and Rwanda all failed to make it to the next round.

Burundi suffered a 4-1 defeat to Burkina Faso on Wednesday night to bow out on a 5-1 goal aggregate, while Djibouti suffered a 5-0 defeat to Togo to fall out on a 10-0 goal aggregate.  

The 2026 WAFCON will be hosted by Morocco.

Second round matches

Angola vs Malawi

DR Congo vs South Africa

Tanzania vs Ethiopia

Namibia vs Zambia

Burkina Faso vs Togo

Algeria vs Cameroon

Egypt vs Ghana

Kenya vs Gambia

Benin vs Nigeria

Cape Verde vs Mali

Senegal vs Cote d’Ivoire