The Kenya U20 men’s football team, Rising Stars, has been placed in Group C for their debut in the U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 set to take place in Côte d’Ivoire from 26 April to 18 May 2025.
The draw for the continental tournament was conducted on Thursday afternoon, February 13, in Cairo, Egypt with former Mali international Adama Coulibaly and ex-Senegal star Souleymane Camara serving as draw assistants.
Twelve teams have already qualified while one additional team from the Central African Football Federation’s Union zone will join later, bringing the total number of teams to 13.
The Rising Stars will face the defending champions Senegal who were automatically seeded in the group. Alongside them will be the 2017 champions Zambia and Sierra Leone.
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Côte d’Ivoire, seeded automatically as the host nation in Group A will compete against one-time champions DR Congo, four-time champions Ghana, and Tanzania who are making their second appearance in the tournament.
This group will consist of five teams, as one additional team from UNIFFAC 2 will join after their qualification.
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Group B is regarded as the “group of death,” featuring Nigeria, the reigning champions with seven titles, alongside four-time champions Egypt, 1997 champions Morocco, and South Africa, another powerhouse in continental football.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, along with the two best third-placed teams.
The competition will then proceed in a knockout format until a winner is crowned, with the top four nations qualifying for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will be held in Chile from September 27 to October 19, 2025.
The Kenya U20 team, led by Salim Babu, achieved historic qualification after advancing to the final of the U20 CECAFA qualifying tournament held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Despite a loss to the host nation in the final, Kenya secured qualification.
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CAF U20 AFCON 2025 Groups
Group A:
- Côte d’Ivoire
- UNIFFAC 2
- DR Congo
- Ghana
- Tanzania
Group B:
- Nigeria
- Egypt
- South Africa
- Morocco
Group C:
- Senegal
- Zambia
- Kenya
- Sierra Leone
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