FIFA U-17 Women’s WC: Kenya and Zambia in the spotlight despite contrasting results

The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2024 is a historic moment for African football, with several African nations set to showcase their potential on the world stage. Amongst them is Kenya, who are making their first appearance in a FIFA-organised tournament with their U-17 women’s team.

Despite both teams not getting the desired result, not all is lost for the two African representatives who will make use of their fighting chance of progression.

Brazil 1-0 Zambia: The courageous resistance of the Zambians

The match between Brazil and Zambia saw the Africans lose 1-0, but Zambia showed they could compete with one of the best teams in the tournament. The game was marked by a solid defensive performance from the Zambians, who withstood the Brazilian onslaught and limited their opponents to just one goal.

The decisive moment came in the 19th minute when Juju, one of Brazil’s key players, scored the only goal of the game. Despite the goal, Zambia never gave up, showing total commitment and a determination to get back into the game.

Zambia’s efforts to equalise were met by a solid Brazilian defence and a well-organised defence. The tight result shows that Zambia is improving in every international competition, gaining experience and lessons for the future.

England 2-0 Kenya: A promising first appearance for the Kenyans

For Kenya, the match against England was a historic moment. It was the first time that Kenya had ever played in a FIFA tournament with its U-17 women’s team.

Despite a 2-0 defeat, the game will go down in Kenyan football history and could be a springboard for the development of women’s sport in the country.

The match started with England dominating the game but the Kenyans fought back. In the 29th minute, England took the lead through a penalty converted by Lola Brown after a defensive error in the penalty area. Brown gave the Kenyan goalkeeper no chance with a perfectly placed strike.

Despite the setback, Kenya continued to fight back, trying to create opportunities on the counterattack. Although England often controlled the game, the Kenyans’ collective effort, and determination, was remarkable for a team playing in their first international tournament of this magnitude. Lauryn Thompson scored the second goal in the 87th minute to seal England’s victory.