Hussein Mohammed✓

Today I visited the U-15 Boys at their base in the competition village to commend them for their outstanding performance, finishing top of their group and advancing to the knockout stage of the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival. I encouraged the boys to keep their focus and maintain the winning mentality as they enter the decisive stage of the tournament. This milestone validates the progressive structures we are establishing for grassroots football and the long-term development of our young talent. I was joined by FIFA Director Member Associations Africa Gelson Fernandes, Ghana FA President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, Djibouti FA President and FIFA Council Member Souleiman Waberi, Grenada FA President Marlon Glean, and Burundi FA President Alexandre Muyenge.

Kenya registers another historic milestone as the U-15 Boys top Group Z in the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival in Azerbaijan to advance to the knockout stage. The squad was assembled by scouts who recently completed a training workshop organized by the Federation under the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, a testament to the positive impact of FKF's youth development initiatives.

Another impressive performance and victory for our U-15 boys against Chad to finish top of our group. Congratulations to the team!

From Baku, our U-15 Boys have congratulated the Junior Starlets on reaching the Round of 16 and encouraged them to replicate the same fighting spirit against Japan.

Commendations to our U-15 Boys for yet another impressive performance against Niger and a good run so far at the FIFA U-15 World Cup Festival in Baku.

Congratulations once again to our Junior Starlets for anchoring Kenya's name in the World Cup history. This achievement reflects the commitment of the players, the technical bench, and the deliberate investment in our national teams by the Federation and the Government. This milestone goes beyond the pitch. It is a beacon of hope for every girl with a dream, proving that with opportunity and belief, girls from every corner of the country can compete and shine among the world's best. The Junior Starlets have redefined what is possible for women's football in Kenya and laid a foundation for the future of the game. As a Federation, our commitment is to continue supporting, investing in, and creating more development pathways for them to succeed, achieve their dreams, and elevate the women's game in Kenya.

History made! The Junior Starlets become the first Kenyan national team to advance past the group stage of a World Cup competition. A monumental achievement for the country, congratulations, Junior Starlets, Kenya is proud! #JuniorStarlets

This is the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan where the Under 15 world cup and festival is taking place. It features 10 football pitches that are configured to host 20 simultaneous 8v8 matches. The rest of the world is growing and moving forward with their football development agenda. We have plenty to do if we are to catch up and stay competitive. There are no short cuts. We must immediately build our high performance technical centers and pitches for schools and our local communities across the country. All leagues and competitions at every level, for both boys and girls must be strengthened. We must successfully commercialize football if it is to become a viable economic pillar for our youth and the sports eco-system. We are on the right path, albeit fraught with thorny pathways and dark alleys. To allow mediocrity, hate, bloated egos and greed back into football administration is an injustice to all Kenyans. Both current and future generations. Hiyo nayo hatuwezi kubali kamwe!

Our Under 15 National team has kicked off their campaign with back to back wins in the ongoing U15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan. Youth development is the key to our future success. I had the pleasure to witness their emphatic win today against Panama.

All the best to the Junior Starlets ahead of your final group match against Samoa, let's finish strong.

Today I had the honour of joining FIFA President Gianni Infantino, FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger, and fellow Member Association Presidents for the kick-off of the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Festival brings together 189 countries in the first-ever global tournament at this age level. It will feature almost 1,000 matches with over 3,000 players at the Hovsan Olympic Complex. I am proud that Kenya is represented, with our U-15 boys marking the occasion with a 6-2 victory over Malta in their opening match today. As FIFA has emphasized, this platform is about giving every talent, everywhere, a chance to compete internationally. This aligns with our own commitment to youth development and creating pathways for the next generation of Kenyan footballers to test themselves on the world stage.

The Kenya U-15 boys' team is in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the inaugural 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival. Kenya is among 191 Member Associations competing in the first edition for boys, featuring almost 1,000 matches in an 8v8 format. The girls' edition will follow in 2027, with both tournaments becoming annual from 2028. As FIFA Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, noted: "Talent exists everywhere, but young players do not always have the same opportunities to test themselves internationally." This is a massive opportunity for our young talents to gain international exposure and test themselves against different football cultures on the world stage. We wish them the best of luck in the competition.

In order to catch up with the leading football countries in the world, we must deliberately invest in youth structures, coaching capacity and individual talent development. It requires focused leadership, patience and commitment. We shall get there.

To the Junior Starlets, the first game tested us, the second game will define us. Football will always test your resilience, what matters is how you respond, let's bounce back stronger today. We wish you the very best of luck against the USA today, you can do it!

On the sidelines of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, I led a delegation of FKF EXCO and Congress members in a productive meeting with FIFA's Head of Development for Women's Football, Ms. Arijana Demirovic, and FIFA Lead for Women's Football - Africa, Doreen Nabwire. Our discussion was anchored on a clear agenda for Kenya, building sustainable pathways towards qualification for the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup for the Harambee Starlets, establishing a dedicated Technical Centre for women's football development, enhancing and strengthening the Women's Football desk at the Federation. Ms. Demirovic commended FKF on the progress made in developing the FKF Women's Football Strategy 2026-2029, highlighting the tailored initiatives designed to advance the women's game in Kenya. The delegation included NEC Members Peter Kamau Chege and Caleb Amwayi, Michael Senelwa (FKF Chair, Vihiga County & Vice Chair, Women's Committee) and Ruth Omala (IMOC Committee Member and CEO, Mara Sugar FC).

9 months to go until the AFCON anthem echoes in Nairobi! Preparations are on track, infrastructure is rising, and East Africa stands united and ready to deliver a historic tournament for the continent. This is our moment!

Happy Mashujaa Day!

Tough start to our World Cup campaign against China. We have to take the lessons and step up in our next match to get positive results.