- Rising Stars are in Group A alongside Tanzania, Sudan, Rwanda and Djibouti
By Tony Kipkorir
The Kenya U20 men’s side is set to begin their quest of qualifying for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) when they take part in the CECAFA qualifiers starting on Sunday evening against hosts Tanzania.
The eagerly anticipated clash will start at exactly 4 pm Kenyan time at the KMC Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Rising Stars, who will also square it out with the likes of Sudan, Rwanda and Djibouti in Group A, will be seeking to send a strong message to their opponents in their first match.
Speaking ahead of the upcoming tie, head coach Salim Babu has expressed confidence of his charges posting good results.
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“We have been in camp and there are some boys who have also come from Europe. They have boasted the morale of the local ones. So, we are a full house with the exception of only one player who is yet to arrive, Stanley. We hope he will join the team on Sunday,” he stated.
On his part the team’s skipper Amos Wanjala, who recently signed a contract in Spain, acknowledged that the qualifiers will not be a walk in the park.
“We believe every team is coming to compete. So, nothing will be easy. And as I said before, we have been preparing and we know we are ready for the competition. We are going to do our best to win,” explained Wanjala.
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Meanwhile, Kenya’s nemesis Uganda are the favorites to emerge as the top nation in Group B which also has Burundi, Ethiopia and South Sudan.
The two best teams at the end of the competition will book a ticket to the continental showpiece slated for 2025.
The CECAFA region tournament is scheduled to be staged between October 6 and October 20 across three venues.
Rising Stars Squad
Goalkeepers
Joshua Keya, Ibrahim Wanzala
Defenders
Manzur Suleiman, Baron Ochieng, Amos Wanjala, Joseph Bate, Rodgers Obusu, Jackson Imbiakha
Midfielders
Kelly Madada, Stanley Wilson, Kevin Wanganya, Tyron Kariuki, William Gitamu, Phabian Sheldon, Andreas Odhiambo
Forwards Aldrine Kibet, Louise Ingavi, Hassan Beja, Lawrence Okoth
ALSO READ: SportPesa launch revolutionary Tujiamini Initiative to nurture talent
Tujiamini is an initiative that seeks to provide a platform, including up to 30M shillings in funding, for individual, team sports and various talent, in a year-long campaign that will go around the country in a move aimed at evoking the sense of pride in Kenya’s sports and talent ecosystem.
Applicants are urged to submit their applications through www.tujiamini.co.ke