Japan face Kenya on 29 October 2026 in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup round of 16 in Morocco. Japan won all three Group D matches, scoring nine goals and conceding none. Kenya reached their first knockout round by finishing third in Group E with three points and qualifying among the four best third-placed teams.
This is Match 38, scheduled for Pitch 3 at the Women’s Football Complex in the Rabat area. As of the editorial cut-off on 28 October, the fixture had not been played, so neither a result nor a starting eleven for this match can be described as confirmed.
How both sides reached the round of 16
The totals below cover only the three group-stage matches at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Goals for and against are recorded scores, not performance forecasts.
| Team | Group | Points | Wins | Goals for | Goals against | Goal difference | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | D | 9 | 3 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 1st |
| Kenya | E | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 3rd, qualified |
Japan: three wins and three clean sheets
| Date (2026) | Group-stage result |
|---|---|
| 18 Oct | Japan 5-0 Zambia |
| 21 Oct | Japan 2-0 France |
| 24 Oct | Venezuela 0-2 Japan |
Japan opened with a 5-0 victory against Zambia. They then beat France 2-0, thanks to two late goals by Mei Hanashiro, before defeating Venezuela by the same score. They topped Group D with nine points, nine goals scored and none conceded.
France won their other two matches and also progressed. Venezuela, beaten by Japan, went through as one of the best third-placed teams. This adds context to the 5-0 result against Zambia: two of Japan’s opponents remained in the tournament, although that fact alone cannot establish superiority in a future match.
Kenya: progressing from third place
| Date (2026) | Group-stage result |
|---|---|
| 19 Oct | Kenya 0-3 China PR |
| 22 Oct | United States 6-1 Kenya |
| 25 Oct | Samoa 0-4 Kenya |
Kenya opened with a 3-0 loss to China PR, then lost 6-1 to the United States. They beat Samoa 4-0 in their final group match, with two goals from Mwanakombo Bakari and one each from Brenda Awuor and Gaudancia Maloba. That victory secured third place in Group E and the final qualifying spot among the four best third-placed sides.
Kenya scored five group-stage goals and conceded nine, a goal difference of minus four. China PR finished with three wins, while the United States collected six points after losing only to China in the group. Kenya’s two defeats therefore came against the teams that qualified first and second in their section.
What the quality of opposition adds to the comparison
The difference between nine points and three points describes group-stage results, but it does not on its own measure the difficulty of the two groups. Japan kept clean sheets against Zambia, France and Venezuela. Kenya faced China PR and the United States, the Group E top two, before defeating Samoa.
The Samoa score deserves particular care. Samoa had already lost 17-0 to the United States and 7-0 to China PR. Kenya’s four goals therefore demonstrate the response they needed to progress, but do not justify treating Samoa as equivalent opposition to France, whom Japan beat, or forecasting a round-of-16 score.
Kenya’s first World Cup knockout appearance
The milestone is specific: Kenya had already appeared at the U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2024, but exited in the group stage. They have reached the knockouts for the first time in 2026. In comments published by Mozzart Sport Kenya on 28 October, head coach Mildred Cheche acknowledged the challenge posed by Japan and stressed her team’s preparations without predicting the outcome.
Date, pitch, kick-off information and line-up status
FIFA and the Japan Football Association list the game for Thursday, 29 October, at 18:00 and label the listed time local. The Football Kenya Federation, however, gives a kick-off of 21:00 East Africa Time (EAT). Those readings do not match under the ordinary conversion between the time zones in effect on that date. Kick-off therefore needs reconfirmation with the organiser, rather than treating any derived time in Brazil as definitive.
The match is assigned to Pitch 3 at the Mohammed VI complex, named the Women’s Football Complex by FIFA/JFA. Japan’s pre-match page lists squad members, but not an official starting eleven. A line-up should only be called official once the match-specific selection is released. The winner will advance to the quarter-finals; the group-stage figures establish neither a guaranteed winner nor a final score.
Sources and references
- FIFA, official 2026 match schedule
- FIFA Training Centre, Group D and E results
- Japan Football Association, Match 38 fixture page
- Japan Football Association, Japan v France result
- FIFA, 29 October round-of-16 preview
- Football Kenya Federation, first knockout qualification
- Mozzart Sport Kenya, 28 October coach interview and preview
