Kenya’s Junior Stars saw their hopes of reaching the 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations come to an abrupt end after losing 3-0 to hosts Ethiopia in the CECAFA U17 third-place playoff in Addis Ababa on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.

The match at the Abebe Bikila Stadium was a straight fight for the final qualification slot available to the region. Uganda and Tanzania had already sealed their places by reaching the final, leaving Kenya and Ethiopia to battle for the remaining ticket. However, the Kenyan side could not recover from their semi-final setback and ended the tournament empty-handed.

Coach William Muluya’s team entered the playoff under pressure after their 3-1 loss to Tanzania on Sunday. Ethiopia arrived in the decider from their own difficult outing, having fallen 3-0 to Uganda in the other semi-final.

Despite the high stakes, Kenya struggled to settle into the game against Ethiopia, who used the home advantage well. The hosts pressed early and maintained control for long spells. Ethiopia found the breakthrough and continued to apply pressure, and the Junior Stars could not recover.

The final score of 3-0 reflected Ethiopia’s superiority on the day and confirmed their qualification for the continental finals in Morocco next year.

Winless run continues

The defeat also extended Kenya’s winless run against Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, following last week’s 1-0 group-stage loss in the same venue. Kenya had advanced from Group A after defeating South Sudan and Rwanda and drawing with Somalia, but they could not carry that momentum into the knockout stage.

This latest setback means Kenya will miss yet another U-17 continental tournament, despite showing early promise in the qualifiers. The team’s defensive lapses in the last two matches proved costly, with both Tanzania and Ethiopia scoring freely against them.

Coach Muluya will now focus on reviewing the campaign and building on the positives from the group stage. The emphasis shifts to developing the current squad further and preparing for future regional competitions.

Ethiopia join Uganda and Tanzania as CECAFA’s representatives at the 2026 AFCON U-17 tournament. Uganda and Tanzania will meet later in the CECAFA final to close the regional qualifiers.