Kenya Women's U17 head coach Mildred Cheche has revealed that her side is set to face Australia and a couple of Spain clubs, as part of their preparations for this year’s FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsCheche, speaking during the team’s training session at Kasarani Annex on Friday, 2 October, said her squad was angling to build up competitiveness with the friendly matches, which are scheduled to take place within the side’s two-week camp in Spain, before the global tournament kicks off on Saturday, 17 October.##NAJAVA_MECA_10000336##“We are looking to play against Australia in Spain, and also a couple of clubs like Real Betis and Cadiz,” Cheche said. “Hopefully when we get to Spain, that is what we are looking forward to.”All through September, Cheche and her team were in residential training in Nairobi, where they worked on form and fitness, while playing a number of friendlies with local women and men sides.Livid McCarthy fingers ‘incompetent and arrogant’ referee after Harambee Stars’ loss to GuineaSpeaking of the local preparations, Cheche said: “The camp has been well, most of the players are psyched for the World Cup, where will be playing against very tough opponents.”On the player front, Cheche reported that versatile player Faith Boke was still nursing an injury, but expected to recover in time for the competition.Former Gor Mahia midfielder sends message to Benni McCarthy after joining Tanzanian outfitThe head coach also had a positive update on midfielder Mwanakombo Bakari, who she now expects to link up with the squad days before the World Cup.“Mwanakombo [Bakari] will join us in Morocco,” Cheche said of the US-based player at Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio. “She is also training where she is, she is competing also with the school, so she will be able to join us from 15 October.”##NAJAVA_MECA_9999600##With a debut World Cup already out of the way, Cheche is expectant of improved performances this time, with her target being getting past the group stages, where Kenya is pooled in Group E alongside China, Samoa and USA.“Initially, for the first World Cup, most of us were called visitors because it was the first time," Cheche said of the 2024 World Cup in the Dominican Republic, where Kenya were knocked out of the group stages after only one win against Mexico.Kenyan coach explains reason behind worrying 2026-2027 start in Tanzania“We didn't know what the competition looked like,” she said. “But now we are going with experience from the first edition. We saw how teams prepared. We saw the level of girls that they have; the technically astute players, and also the gifted players from different countries.This time round we are going to compete, not participate, because we are looking to go beyond the group stages.”Kenya’s first match in the World Cup is against China on Monday, 19 October.