Kenya’s Under-17 women’s national team, the Junior Starlets, are set to face Samoa in their final Group E match at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco today, Sunday, October 25, 2026.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 9:00 PM East African Time (EAT) at Mohammed VI Football Academy, Pitch 4, with Kenya hoping to secure its first victory of the tournament and finish the group stage on a positive note.

The Junior Starlets head into the encounter after losing their opening two matches. Kenya began its campaign with a 3-0 defeat to China on October 19 before suffering a 6-1 loss to the United States on October 22.

Against China, Xu Yue opened the scoring before Xu Xiaotang struck twice in the second half. In the match against the United States, Maddie DiMaria scored four goals in the first half, while Loradana Paletta and Gianna Hanf added further goals. Lindey Weey Atieno scored Kenya’s only goal late in the match, giving the East Africans something to celebrate despite the defeat.

Samoa have also endured a difficult start to the competition. They opened their campaign with a 17-0 defeat to the United States before losing 7-0 to China.The Pacific island nation therefore enters the encounter without a win or a goal from its first two group matches, setting the stage for a contest between two teams seeking a positive end to their campaigns.

Kenya head coach Mildred Cheche will be looking for a stronger performance from her players, particularly in defensive organisation, concentration and the ability to convert scoring opportunities. Cheche has expressed the team’s desire to secure three points against Samoa while highlighting the need to learn and improve, especially in the development of women’s football.
Kenya’s chances of advancing to the knockout stage have already been affected by its opening results. Nevertheless, the final group fixture remains important for the young players as they seek to gain international experience and demonstrate progress on the global stage.

Both teams will be eager to finish the group stage with an improved performance. Kenya will need to tighten its defence, make better use of possession and take its chances in front of goal, while Samoa will hope to end its difficult run of results.

Kenyan football fans will be watching closely to see whether the Junior Starlets can claim their first victory of the tournament and conclude their World Cup campaign on a high.