By Harry Awurumibe
Kenya’s U-20 national women’s football team went goal crazy last weekend by hammering their Botswana opponents 7-1 in the preliminary matches of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup African qualifiers while Burundi wallops Djibouti 6-0 at Prince Louis Rwagasore Stadium, Bujumbura.
Playing away in Gaborone, Kenya opened scores as early as in the 10th minute through Martha Amunvolete who also scored the last goal in the 90th minute dot. Her compatriots Cynthia Shilwatso (19”), Marjoleen Nekesa (61, 66), Corazon Acquino (82) and Diana Wacera (87) all scored on the night while host Botswana through Leano Atlang scored a consolation lone goal in the 45th minute of the match.
Also, Burundi let the home court advantage count when they took the visitors-Djibuoti to the cleaners with goals from hat-trick heroine- Falone Kapinga who scored in the (11, 62, 70 minutes) while Sandrine Nivonkru (8), Charlotte Irankunda (75) and Asha Jaffari (89) were the other scorers in the one-sided match.
Meanwhile, Libya refused to file out in their country when Sierra Leone came calling and the referee had to do the needful by working over the Libyans. By this development Sierra Leone has qualified for the next stage. No fewer than fourteen goals were scored in the first leg just as the second leg will hold this weekend.
However, Nigeria’s U-20 national women’s team, Falconets has been given a waiver to start its qualification match in the second stanza with a game against Tanzania in the weekend of September 15 to 17, 2017.
Preliminary Round 1st Leg Results:
1. Burundi 6 – 0 Djibouti
2. Djibouti vs Burundi
3. Libya vs Sierra Leone w/o
4. Sierra Leone vs Libya
5. Botswana 1- 7 Kenya
6. Kenya vs Botswana
Match II: 4, 5 or 6 August 2017
