Kenya's Rising Stars to miss Morocco camp following last minute changes
Head coach Salim Babu believes that his side has what it takes to make an impression at the tournament.
The Kenya U-20 men’s national team, popularly known as the Rising Stars, will now travel directly to Cairo, Egypt, on Monday, 21st April 2025, ahead of the upcoming TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
This follows a change in the team’s preparation schedule, with the initial plan to hold a training camp in Morocco shelved at the last minute.
The adjustment comes after the latest tournament draw placed Kenya in Group B alongside Morocco, Tunisia, and Nigeria, this making pre-tournament training in Morocco impossible.
The team will now finalise its preparations in Egypt before kicking off their campaign on Thursday, 1st May 2025 at 10 pm Kenyan time with a clash against Morocco at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo.
Their second group match is scheduled for Sunday, 4th May 2025 at 7 pm Kenyan time, where they will take on Tunisia at the same venue.
Rising Stars will wrap up their group stage fixtures with a match against Nigeria on Wednesday, 7th May 2025, at 7 pm Kenyan time, again at the same Cairo venue.
The U-20 Africa Cup of Nations will run from 27th April to 18th May 2025, with matches taking place in the Egyptian cities of Cairo, Ismailia, and Suez.
The Rising Stars have been in residential training for the past four weeks in Nairobi after securing their spot in the tournament during the CECAFA qualifiers, where they reached the final.
They narrowly lost 2-1 to hosts Tanzania, but as per the rules, both teams progressed to the AFCON finals.
They were named in a tough Group B of the tournament Sunday evening, where they will take on Tunisia, Nigeria, and Morocco, a tough task indeed.
Head coach Salim Babu believes that his side has what it takes to make an impression at the tournament.
"Our goal is to reach the World Cup, and to do that, we must make it to the semifinals. I believe we have the quality to get there, and we’re fully committed to achieving that dream," Babu told Radio Generation Sport.
Full Kenya Under-20 squad for AFCON 2025
Goalkeepers: Kevin Oduor, Wyclifford Oduor, Bernard Jairo
Defenders: Baron Ochieng, Humphrey Obina, Jackson Imbiakha, Joseph Bate, Manzu Okwaro, Amos Wanjala, Talena Ochieng, Collins Ochieng
Midfielders: Kevin Wangaya, Emilio Brian, Irad Mshindi, Mark Shaban, Humphrey Aroko, Aldrine Kibet, Kelly Madada
Attackers: Hassan Beja, Ezekieh Omuri, Elly Owande, William Gitama, Javan Omondi, Lawrence Ouma, Oliver Machaka