Kenya’s Under-17 team head coach Mildred Cheche says the team is looking to bow out of their World Cup debut campaign in style when they take on Mexico in their final Group C match in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The Junior Starlets are already out of contention for the knockout phase of the competition after back-to-back defeats to England and two-time champions Korea DPR. Coach Cheche has told Telecomasia.net that they have picked up valuable lessons and are now eager to bow out with at least a victory and a first-ever World Cup goal.
Cheche said, speaking to Telecomasia.net after the team arrived in Santo Domingo:
It has been a real eye-opener to the girls. The entire World Cup experience has been great for us. Of course, we would have wanted to go to the next round and make more history, but I can’t question the girls’ effort and their fighting spirit. There are so many lessons we have learnt, and we have gained experience as a team. We showed that we can compete as well, and that was the most important thing.
Mexico, just like Kenya, is also out of contention for a knockout place after suffering back-to-back defeats, and both will be playing for pride in the last match.
We want to bow out in good style and with a victory. The girls are psyched to get a win and have something to remember from this World Cup. We have looked at how we played in the last two matches, and I definitely know we will have a better performance against Mexico.
Coach Cheche also hopes that the team’s appearance at the World Cup will open doors for some of the players to turn professional.
