Kenya's Junior Starlets wrote a new chapter in the country's football history on Sunday, thrashing Samoa 4-0 in their final Group E match at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco to reach the Round of 16 for the first time.

The emphatic victory lifted Kenya to third place in the group with three points, enough to secure one of the four slots reserved for the best third-placed teams. The result means a Kenyan side has progressed beyond the group stage of a FIFA World Cup for the first time, Eastleigh Voice reported.

Coach Mildred Cheche's side will now face Japan, the 2014 champions, in the knockout round on Thursday, October 29.

Bakari leads the rout

Forward Mwanakombo Bakari set the tone almost immediately, scoring inside the opening five minutes to settle the nerves of a team that knew only a win, combined with favourable results elsewhere, would keep their tournament alive.

Brenda Awuor doubled the lead before half-time, and Gaudencia Maloba made it 3-0 after the hour mark. Bakari then struck again minutes later to complete her brace and earn the Player of the Match award. Kenya could have won by an even bigger margin, but Samoan goalkeeper Susanna Peacock saved a penalty from Lindey Atieno, Capital FM reported.

The win was a dramatic turnaround for a team that had started the tournament poorly. The Junior Starlets lost 3-0 to China in their opening game before going down 6-1 to the United States, a match in which Atieno scored Kenya's first goal of the tournament. The four-goal margin against Samoa improved their goal difference to minus four, which proved decisive in the race for the best third-placed places.

China finished top of Group E, four points clear of Kenya, after beating the United States 3-2 in Sunday's other group game, according to Citizen Digital.

"Japan is not an easy side"

Next up is a daunting assignment. Japan topped Group D with a perfect nine points, scoring nine goals and conceding none in their three matches.

Cheche, who also led Kenya to their debut appearance at the 2024 edition of the tournament, acknowledged the size of the task while celebrating the milestone.

"Japan is not an easy side to defeat, but we will prepare well, and I'm hoping for the best," Cheche said, as quoted by Citizen Digital.

Bakari, who now has two goals at the tournament, said she was eager to build on her performance.

"Against Japan, I will be more determined and hope to score more goals to propel my team to the quarter-final," she said.

A milestone for Kenyan youth football

The Junior Starlets' progress caps a strong period for Kenya's youth teams. The country's U-15 boys are also in action at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, where they recorded a high-scoring win over Panama, Capital FM reported.

For the women's game in Kenya, the Round of 16 qualification offers a rare boost at a time when the senior Harambee Starlets are rebuilding under interim coach Godfrey Oduor ahead of an Olympic qualifier against Seychelles.

A win against Japan on Thursday would take the Junior Starlets into the quarter-finals, an achievement no Kenyan national team has managed at a FIFA tournament.

Photos: K24 Digital, Eastleigh Voice