Teen Cranes coach Sheryl Botes explains what she expects from her team ahead of crucial World Cup qualifier match against Junior Starlets.
Teen Cranes coach Sheryl Botes has warned Junior Starlets that her charges are ready to overturn the first leg deficit and progress to the final round of the World Cup qualifiers.
The two sides settle scores at the Nyayo Stadium on Sunday in the penultimate World Cup qualifier round. The Mildred Cheche-coached side beat their neighbours 2-0 at the Hamz, Nakivubo Stadium in the first leg but Botes expects a different ball game altogether in Nairobi.
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“We are expecting a Kenyan team with the same physicality, speed,endurance and maturity because they have shown us why they have gone to the WC,” She said in an interview on X space.
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Botes said although Junior Starlets is one of the best teams in the continent owing to their past achievement, they will put their best foot forward and try to win the match. She urged her charges to show their ruthless side.
“These are opportunities we need for our team to get stronger. Junior Starlets have a rich history. They managed to beat Mexico, They played well against England even though they lost 1-0. We have studied all those matches and seen how strong and physical they are. Their endurance capacity is very high and those are some of the things we looked at while we were at home.
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Even though inexperience is a disadvantage for Teen Cranes, Botes says they will approach the game more tactically. “We have six or seven players who played for the first time in the national team in the first leg but these are the opportunities they need to get better. It’s all about withstanding pressure and crafting a tactical approach. Gone are the days when the scoreline was big but we are looking forward to a tough fight.”
Starlets only need any kind of draw to progress to the final qualification round and at worse, a 1-0 defeat would still sail them through. “We are going into the match as though we are starting afresh. Yes, we won the first leg, but in football anything can happen and we are taking the return tie very seriously. We go in as though it is still 0-0. Our ambition is to give everything and win at home, in front of our fans,” captain Halima Imbachi said after the team’s final training session at the Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday.
Junior Starlets are eying a second consecutive World Cup appearance after doing so last year in the Dominican Republic for the first time.
