FIFA U-17 World Cup Qualifiers: Coach Botes and Cheche along with captains share their thoughts ahead of crunch match

The second round of FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers officially resume this weekend, with some exciting fixtures lined up across various parts of the continent.

Uganda is set to host their Kenyan counterparts on Saturday, 8 March 2025, at the Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo in Kampala.

Ahead of this fixture, coaches from both teams addressed members of the media at a press conference held at the FUFA Complex in Mengo, offering insights into their preparations and expectations for the game.

Here are some of the key take outs from the head coaches and captains of both nations. 

Uganda Women's U-17 Head coach -  Sheryl Botes 

We had eight days to prepare the team. From what we have done so far, we are confident we can give Kenya a run for their money.  They are a formidable team that has previously participated in the World Cup. They bring a lot of experience and skill, so I wouldn’t use the same team that played against Namibia. One of our key areas of focus is to get the win at home.

Uganda U-17 Women’s captain - Agnes Nabukenya 

‘Playing on the National senior team has helped me gain endurance, learn new tactics and this enables me to provide leadership to my team. We have been prepared well to get the win against Kenya. The team is ready to show everything that has been learnt in camp. We know expectations are high following our big win over two legs against Namibia but the players in camp are grounded. Playing infront of our fans gives us extra motivation to search for good results in the first leg and plan later for the return match’

Kenya Women's U-17 Head coach  - Mildred Cheche

‘We are not worried. We are prepared. Football is a game of 90 minutes, and the team that prepares well gets the three points.’

We have players from the U15 team who have graduated to the U17 level to fill the gaps left by those who moved up to the U20 team. We expect challenging opposition. Looking at the previous game Uganda played against Namibia, it shows they are well-organised. I have much respect for Coach Botes.’

Kenya U-17 Women’s captain-Halima Imbachi 

‘We know that it is a derby match between these two countries. It is a very big day for us and we know it will not be easy. We are ready to go and face Uganda’