Kenya’s Boys U17 national team will be seeking their first win in the U17 Africa Cup of Nations CECAFA Qualifiers when they face rivals Rwanda on Friday, November 21, at the Abebe Bekila Stadium in Addis Ababa with kickoff slated for 1 PM.
The crucial fixture follows Kenya’s hard-fought 1-1 draw against Somalia in their campaign opener, leaving them eager for maximum points to boost their hopes of continental qualification.
Victory against Rwanda would potentially propel the Junior Stars into second position in the group standings and boost the chances for Afcon Qualification.
This is the first time that the two nations are meeting in that age category. For Kenya they hope to build from a disappointing 2024 tournament where they lost all their group stage matches, a heavy 5-0 defeat to Tanzania and a 1-0 loss to Tanzania.
Despite Rwanda’s campaign starting with a 2-0 loss to hosts Ethiopia, Junior Stars Head Coach William Muluya has warned his young side against underestimating their East African neighbours.
Muluya believes that the Rwandan team possesses a physical edge that his players must counter with high work rate and tactical discipline.
Junior Stars chase first win in crucial CECAFA U17 clash with Rwanda
The coach admitted that while his side might lack in natural physicality, they must compensate with high energy.
“They are a very strong side. They lost to Ethiopia, but none of our players matches their physical ability, but we can match our urgency. We can be the mighty in urgency, we have to work extra hard and put in a lot of effort, especially in dealing with the balls in the air as well as the duels.” Muluya said on Thursday ahead of the contest.
In other CECAFA Fixtures to be played on Friday, the tournament schedule features two Group B battles in Dire Dawa and a Group A clash in Addis Ababa.
The Group B heavyweight match pits defending champions Uganda against Tanzania, a repeat of the 2024 CECAFA U-17 final.
Both sides have made a blistering start to the tournament, with Uganda thrashing Burundi 4-0 and Tanzania delivering a spectacular 11-0 rout over Djibouti in their respective opening games.
Elsewhere in Group B, Djibouti take on Burundi in a fixture where both teams are desperate for a win after heavy losses in their opening fixtures.
Group A action concludes with hosts Ethiopia facing Somalia at the Abebe Bikila Stadium.
Ethiopia could seal a knockout spot with a win today.
