Babu, Cheche nominated for 2025 Sports Personality of the Year Awards

Photo Credit - Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Media.

Kenya national team Junior Starlets head coach Mildred Cheche, Rising Stars head coach Salim Babu, and the national U17 and U20 teams—have been nominated for the 2025 Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA).

According to a release issued on Monday, in the Coach of the Year category, Mildred Cheche made the nomination after guiding the Junior Starlets to their historic debut at the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic.

Cheche, who made headlines as the first coach to lead a Kenyan team at a FIFA World Cup, has been widely praised for her tactical brilliance, player development, and trailblazing leadership in women’s football.

Joining her in the same category is coach Babu, who led the Rising Stars to qualify for the 2025 Africa U20 Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a remarkable performance at the CECAFA U20 Qualifiers in Tanzania. Under Babu’s guidance, the Rising Stars finished as runners-up and secured a place among Africa’s elite youth teams, setting a new benchmark for Kenya’s youth football development.

Meanwhile, the Junior Starlets made history as the first-ever Kenyan team to feature at a FIFA World Cup, representing the country at the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup. They showcased remarkable spirit, resilience, and talent on the global stage, including a memorable victory over Mexico, and finished third in their group.

On the other hand, the Rising Stars made the shortlist following a string of impressive performances at the AFCON U20 CECAFA Qualifiers, where they finished second. Their strong showing secured them a coveted spot at the 2025 Africa U20 Cup of Nations, set to be held in Egypt.