Kenya's girls' team secured a podium finish at the 2026 International School Sport Federation (ISF) Football World Cup in Suzhou, China.The boys also registered encouraging results in a tournament that brought together 51 teams from 31 delegations across four continents.The girls claimed bronze after beating Turkey 5-4 on penalties in the third-place play-off, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.##NAJAVA_MECA_10077538##Their achievement came after an impressive run that saw them reach the semi-finals, where they narrowly missed out on a place in the final against Germany.Kenya had a difficult start to the competition, losing 1-0 to Brazil in their opening Group B match.Delays meant the team had to begin the contest with only nine players.Government on how Kenya stands to benefit from Bayern Munich vs Ajax friendlyHowever, the Kenyan girls responded emphatically, thrashing France 6-1 before producing an even more convincing 9-0 victory over Mexico to finish second in their group with six points behind Brazil.They carried that momentum into the quarter-finals, where they defeated Chinese Taipei 3-0 to book a semi-final meeting with Germany.The last-four encounter proved a difficult test, with Kenya eventually losing on penalties after the teams had played to a 1-1 draw in regulation time.Kenya U15 finish in top 30 globally after impressive FIFA U-15 World Cup outingDespite missing out on the final, the girls recovered to beat Turkey in the bronze medal match, completing an impressive campaign on the podium.China were crowned girls' champions after defeating Germany 5-1 in the final.BoysThe Kenyan boys, meanwhile, also had a challenging start under head coach Sammy Nyakwar Adongo, with travel delays and quarantine challenges disrupting their preparations.##NAJAVA_MECA_10075977##The squad included eight players from Kakamega High School's Green Commandos.Kenya suffered a walkover defeat against Bulgaria before holding England B to a goalless draw.They then lost 4-2 to Brazil in their final Group G match, missing out on qualification for the main quarter-final stage.Aldrine Kibet back as Kimani names provisional U23 squad for Ivory CoastThe boys responded positively in the classification matches, recording convincing victories over England A (3-0), Chile (3-0) and Ireland (4-1) before their run ended with a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Czech Republic.Their results included three victories in their final four matches.Croatia won the boys' title after defeating Guinea 3-0 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regulation time, while Germany claimed bronze after beating Turkey in the third-place play-off.##NAJAVA_MECA_10075963##Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) Secretary General David Ngugi said the performances offered encouragementHe noted that Kenya had also benefited from its participation in the 2024 international school competition, with some players attracting interest from scouts, securing professional opportunities and earning national team recognition."We have seen some great performances from our players who have been spotted by scouts, and we are hopeful that this exposure will help build their playing careers just like it did for some players from the 2024 team who got lucrative deals and also play for the national teams," Ngugi said.Former Harambee Stars keeper Patrick Matasi begins new Christian journeyEducation Secretary Nelson Sifuna said preparations for the next edition would begin immediately, with the intention of building competitive teams for the 2028 tournament."Preparations for the 2028 World Cup will begin immediately because I believe that we have what it takes to win the trophy. We will focus on our Grade 10 players as we build teams that will represent the country then," Sifuna said.The ISF Football World Cup is held every two years and brings together school teams from different countries, combining competition with educational activities and cultural exchange.
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