Kenya thrash Botswana in World Cup qualifier

Harambee Starlets on Friday completed a resounding 7-1 victory over Botswana in the preliminary round of the 2018 Fifa U-20 World Cup qualifier staged at the Lobatse Sports Complex in Botswana.

Second half substitute Marjolene Nekesa scored twice in two minutes adding onto earlier goals scored by Martha Amunyolete and Cynthia Musungu.

Diana Wacera, Viviane Corazone Aquino and Amunyolete scored a goal apiece within the last 20 minutes of the game. Botswana’s only form of response came at the stroke of half-time through striker Vusang Atang.

Kenya were off to a brilliant start, with Amunyolete finding the back of the net just ten minutes after kick off.

Musungu doubled the scores for Kenya 10 minutes later. The hosts halved the deficit heading into the break.

The decision to withdraw Nginda Girls attacker Rachel Muema for Marjolene Nekesa after the break bore immediate fruits, as the latter scored in the 61st and 63rd minutes to extend Starlets lead.

Aquino and Wacera made their contributions to the game in the 82nd and 87th minute, and Amunyolete put the icing on the cake in stoppage time to complete the rout.

The women’s junior team will now return home to prepare for the return leg set for August 4 this year, with Ethiopia the opponents in the next round this September.

Kenya quietly flew out of Nairobi on Wednesday for the fixture with no word to the media or Kenyan public for that matter.

Efforts by this newspaper to get in touch with the Kenya coach Caroline Achieng’ proved futile as the Football Kenya Federation declined to give contacts of the team officials in Lobatse.

Kenya and Botswana are among 19 nations gunning for one of the three slots available for Africa in next year’s World Cup in France.