- Rising Stars captain Baron Ochieng is confident the team will achieve success in the upcoming AFCON U20 tournament, despite the recent group reshuffle.
- The Rising Stars were initially set to face Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Zambia, but following the revised draw, they will now face Nigeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.
- The upcoming 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is scheduled to take place in Egypt from 27 April to 18 May 2025.
Kenya Under-20 National team captain Baron Ochieng has expressed confidence that, despite a challenging group reshuffle ahead of the upcoming U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 in Egypt this May, the team is fully prepared to defy expectations.
In the recent revised draw conducted earlier this week, Kenya found itself placed in a more formidable group than initially expected.
The Rising Stars now face reigning champions Nigeria, North African giants Morocco, and Tunisia—who replaced Cote d’Ivoire after their withdrawal all in Group B.
Originally, Kenya had been placed in Group C alongside title holders Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Zambia.
Although the group has toughened, Ochieng emphasized that the squad remains unfazed, attributing their readiness to consistent and intense preparation in anticipation of their debut in this prestigious tournament.
For the past two weeks, our training sessions have been intense and focused. Player confidence is growing steadily. With the new draw out, we remain unshaken. Even if we hadn’t faced these teams in the group stages, we were bound to meet them in the quarterfinals or semifinals. We are fully prepared and ready for the challenge,” the right-back told journalists at the M-Pesa Foundation Academy in Thika on Monday.
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The Sofapaka defender also dismissed concerns about Egypt’s scorching climate, noting that the team’s prior exposure to similar conditions, including a pre-tournament camp in Morocco—would ensure a swift adaptation.
As players, we can’t use the weather as an excuse. Even when we move from Nairobi to places like Mombasa, we still perform. With our pre-camp scheduled in Morocco which shares a similar climate with Egypt we expect the team to adjust within two or three days and hit the ground running,” he explained.
Rising Stars unshaken by Arabs football
Ochieng further downplayed the perceived stylistic differences between African and Arab football, stressing that tactical flexibility would be key.
Nowadays, there’s no distinction between Arab and African football styles. Each game demands a unique tactical approach. The strategy we had for Senegal will differ from how we prepare for Morocco. That’s up to the coach to decide and as players, it’s our duty to execute those tactics. We’re committed to doing our best.”
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Reaffirming the team’s collective spirit, the assistant captain vowed to lead by example, prioritizing national pride over individual accolades.
The upcoming 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), scheduled to take place in Egypt from 27 April to 18 May 2025.