Kenya’s Junior Starlets suffered a 3–0 defeat to China in their opening Group E match at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Monday, October 19, leaving the young Kenyan side needing a strong response in their remaining fixtures.
According to the Asian Football Confederation, Xu Yue opened the scoring in the 12th minute after receiving a pass from Fang Zhenzhu. The early goal gave China the advantage, although Kenya worked to prevent the opposition from extending its lead before half-time.
FIFA’s match report noted that China created several scoring opportunities during the first half, but the Kenyan side managed to keep the deficit to one goal at the break. China’s coach, Ma Xiaoxu, later explained that her players had felt nervous at the start of the tournament.
China returned from the break with greater attacking purpose and doubled its advantage in the 50th minute.
Xu Xiaotang reacted quickest to a loose ball in the penalty area after Feng rattled the crossbar, giving China a more comfortable lead.Xu Xiaotang struck again just three minutes later, heading home a cross from her teammate to complete her brace and make it 3–0. Her second-half performance earned her the Player of the Match award, according to FIFA.
The victory gave China a positive start to its campaign and three important points in Group E. For Kenya, the defeat was a disappointing beginning to a tournament in which the team had hoped to make a strong impression on the international stage.
The Junior Starlets must now regroup ahead of their remaining group matches against the United States on October 22 and Samoa on October 25. Improved defensive organisation and greater attacking efficiency will be important if Kenya are to strengthen their chances of advancing to the knockout stage.
Sources: FIFA match report
