Current Guinness Super League championship top scorer Tiwa Lys Fraiche Melong scored the lone goal this Sunday, April 20 to earn a narrow one-nil win for the U-17 Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon against the Harambee Starlets of Kenya in the first-leg of their third round 2025 U-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup third round qualifiers.
The 16Yo Lekie Filles striker who was skipper of the Cameroon team decided the away game at the Nyayo National stadium in Nairobi with a bullet header that found the back of the host net midway into the first half as Cameroon imposed their physical play style.
Before the 33rd minute goal, Kenya had come close to taking the lead in the 20th minute when Brenda Achieng’s powerful shot rattled the crossbar. Shortly after the goal, Coach Mildred Cheche of Kenya made a tactical switch, bringing in Lindeey Weey Atieno for Achieng’ in an attempt to spark the midfield.
The second half saw the Kenyan Coach Cheche make another bold move, introducing Michelle Waithera in place of Joy Angela Valencia. The substitution almost paid off immediately—Mwanakombo Bakari hit the crossbar with a stunning effort and Waithera was first to the rebound, only for her shot to be denied by the Cameroonian goalkeeper.
Moments later, Waithera again found herself through on goal, skillfully rounding the goalkeeper, but once again couldn’t apply the finishing touch as the keeper recovered just in time to stop her effort.
The final minutes saw Kenya come agonizingly close again when Patience Asiko’s strike narrowly missed the target, leaving the home side to rue missed chances as the final whistle confirmed a 1-0 defeat.
Though the Kenyan girls were enterprising in the afternoon, coach Joseph Brian Ndoko’s team organised defensively to keep yet another clean sheet and achieve a massive away win in their quest to qualify for the world cup in Morocco.
The Junior Starlets now face a must win situation in the return leg away in Cameroon if they are to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
Cameroon will welcome Kenya next Friday at the Olembe Omnisport stadium holding in mind that an aggregate win will seal the country’s second FIFA World cup appearance almost ten years after Diane Djanko and her mates achieved the same feat under coach Minkreo Birwe.
Copyright©2025 kick442.com-Cameroon
All rights reserved. This material and any other digital content on this platform may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, written, or distributed in full or in part, without written permission from our management.
This site is not responsible for the content displayed by external sites
English 
French