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.

Uganda has made a good start in the qualifiers for Africa in for FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2025.

Skipper Agnes Nabukenya was on target six times as Uganda humbled Namibia 10-0 in the first leg of the first round of the qualifiers played at the Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo on Thursday in Kampala.

Nabukenya netted four goals, while Martha Babirye and Ritah Ariho also found the back of the net to give Uganda a 6-0 first half lead.

In the second half Namibia’s Baby Gladiators tried to fight back, but failed to penetrate Uganda’s defending line.

Joan Kizza was on hand to make it 7-0 for Uganda, while Nabukenya added two more goals. Substitute Isabella Blick Kabarozi also got her name on the score sheet to make it 10-0.

Uganda’s coach Sheryl Botes Ulanda said she was happy with the way her team played with aggressiveness. “I am very with the result. We need to keep positive and work hard ahead of the return leg,” added the coach.

The return leg will be played on January 19^th with the winner advancing to play Kenya in the second round.

The other teams from the CECAFA Zone that have earned walk-overs and advanced to the second round include Ethiopia and Tanzania.

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

Kenya are 90 minutes away from qualifying for the 2024 FIFA’s Women’s Under 17 World Cup.

The Junior Starlets beat Burundi 3-0 in the first leg of the last phase of the qualifiers in a match that took place on Sunday at the Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Lorna Faith gave the Junior Starlets a 1-0 lead, before Marion Serenge and Susan Akoth added two second half goals.

Head coach Mildred Cheche says she was impressed with the attitude of the players against a strong Burundi team. ” The players have continued to work hard of and on the pitch and the results can show, ” said Cheche.

‘’We created a lot of chances offensively and we had even more that we should have scored going back to the second leg I think we have a lot to improve in terms of offensive actions,” added the coach.

She called upon fans to come in big numbers on June 16th at the Ulinzi Complex to support the starlets in the return leg because they are 90 minutes away from making history.

The 2024 FIFA Women’s Under 17 World Cup which will attract 16 qualified teams including three from Africa is slated to take place October 16th to November 3rd in the Dominican Republic.