Harambee Starlets' World Cup Dream Ends

By Vincent Opiyo

Junior Harambee Starlets hopes of reaching the 2019 Fifa Under 20 World Cup are over following a 5-1 loss to Ghana in their return leg match played at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos County on Sunday.

Adubea Princella scored a hat-trick, while Anokye Oliuia and Forabambila Ernestina scored a goal apiece reducing Rachel Muema's goal to a mere consolation, as the West Africans advanced to the third round with a 10-1 aggregate score.

Ghana will face Cameroon in the final round of qualifiers set for January 2018 in search of two slots preserved for Africa at the biennial competition scheduled for Paris, France in July 2019.

"We are determined to qualify for the World Cup now we go back to prepare for Cameroon. We enjoyed our two-day stay here although the pitch wasn't in a good condition," Ghana coach Yussuf Basigi said.

Starlets coach Musa Otieno foresees a great future for the girls despite their failure to advance to the final round of qualification.

"Ghana is an experienced team that has been at this tourney several times but we picked our lessons which we hope to implement for a better future.

"We have a good team and it's a matter of grooming to make them even better. Most of them are just from school but have shown they can do well in the future," said Otieno.

The hosts' task of a comeback was made more difficult than it already was as Anokye Oliuia and Adubea Princell struck for the visitors in the opening ten minutes

Adubea claimed her brace at the stroke of halftime by slotting past Starlets goalkeeper Lilian Awuor who had come out of her line.

Adubea was the master assassin for the visitors, who donned their trademark white jerseys, commanding proceedings for the better part of the game.

Gentrix Shikangwa had Starlets' first sniff at goal in the 20th minute, but Ghana goalkeeper Annan Koffie was unperturbed. Basigi was forced to make an early change after Anokye was stretchered off the pitch with an injury.

Forabambila Ernestina replaced her and grabbed the team's fourth goal in the 75th minute with a shot from the centre of the pitch before Adubea completed her hat-trick.

With two minutes to time, Muema reduced the deficit from close range.

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