Kenya’s Emerging Starlets suffered a painful setback in their bid to secure a place at the CAF African Schools Football Championship after falling to Tanzania in the girls’ final of the CECAFA zonal qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda.Download our MozzartSport App For More NewsThe Kenyan U-15 girls, who had impressed throughout the tournament, were beaten 3-0 by Tanzania at the Kigali Pele Stadium on Saturday, 5 September, bringing their promising campaign to a disappointing end.The defeat denied Kenya the opportunity to represent the CECAFA region at the continental championship, with Tanzania earning the coveted ticket after a commanding display in the final. ##NAJAVA_MECA_9936797##CECAFA had confirmed that the winners in both the boys’ and girls’ categories would represent the region at the CAF African Schools Football Championship.Tanzania settled the contest in a devastating opening half, scoring all three goals within 34 minutes to take a commanding lead into the interval.Hajira Mawanja opened the scoring before Eva Maope doubled Tanzania’s advantage, with Anna Paskal completing the scoring to put the East African giants firmly in control.CAF CC: Why Tusker captain is confident of win over Sudanese outfitDespite the deficit, Kenya returned from the break with renewed determination, tightening their defensive organisation while pushing more numbers forward in search of a way back into the contest.However, Tanzania remained composed at the back, and successfully frustrated Kenya’s attempts to reduce the deficit. The Tanzanian defence stood firm through the second half, ensuring that the three-goal advantage remained intact until the final whistle.Major boost for APS Bomet as 13 players graduate from police trainingFor Kenya, the result marked a disappointing conclusion to what had otherwise been an impressive tournament campaign.The Emerging Starlets had demonstrated their potential on their way to the final, eventually reaching the title decider after overcoming a tough semi-final challenge. Kenya secured their place in the final after their semi-final ended in a draw, before edging Rwanda 5-4 on penalties.Blow as Harambee Stars defender is ruled out for rest of 2026-2027 season in EnglandTanzania, meanwhile, entered the final having already underlined their credentials by defeating Uganda 2-0 in the other semi-final, with Debora Salala and Salah Msagala finding the net.The regional tournament, which ran from 3-5 September in Kigali, featured U-15 boys’ and girls’ teams from across CECAFA, with the finals staged at Kigali Pele Stadium.While Tanzania walked away with the regional ticket, Kenya secured silver from the tournament.