enya U20 Women’s National Team, under head coach Jackline Juma, opened their 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-1 draw against Ethiopia in the first leg of the second round played on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at the Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa.
Kenya made a dream start, striking just 37 seconds into the game when Elizabeth Mideva found the back of the net to put the visitors 1-0 up.
It was the perfect opening for the Young Starlets, who showed confidence early on in their first outing of the qualifiers after earning a bye in the first round.
The hosts, however, clawed back in the second half. In the 65th minute, Ethiopia leveled when a shot slipped through the hands of goalkeeper Christine Adhiambo, who appeared to have caught the ball but lost grip on the rain-soaked surface, allowing the equalizer to stand.
The draw leaves the tie finely balanced ahead of the decisive return leg scheduled for Sunday, September 28, 2025, at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi, with kick-off set for 3:00 pm EAT.
The aggregate winner between Kenya and Ethiopia will advance to the third round, where either Tanzania or Angola await in February 2026
By Michael Magona
