Sports

Junior Stars face Tanzania in search of AFCON U17 ticket

Sunday 30th November, 2025 06:55 AM| By Joel Masibo

Kenya’s Junior Stars will be out to secure a spot in the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations U17 tournament in the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Qualifiers semi-final clash against Tanzania.

The game will be played on Sunday, November 30, at the Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, starting at 12:00 pm local time.

William Muluya’s boys reached the semi-final stage after finishing second in Group A behind hosts Ethiopia. The Kenyan boys had a fair run in the qualifiers after recording two wins, a draw, and a defeat in their four outings.

Junior Stars drew 1-1 with Somalia in their opening fixture of the AFCON U17 qualifiers, came from behind to beat Rwanda 2-1, and edged South Sudan 2-0. The Kenyan side then lost 1-0 to hosts Ethiopia, qualifying for the semis with seven points.

A win against Tanzania will keep Kenya on course for a place at the 2026 AFCON U17 finals in Morocco, as the finalists will earn CECAFA’s two tickets to the 2026 U17 AFCON. Junior Stars’ squad features a mix of promising talents drawn from school teams, many of whom impressed during the recent regional scouting and training camps.

Final squad

Goalkeepers: Georgian Chris, Golan Oliech, William Owino

Defenders: Cosmas Asunga, Eugene Ochieng, Nevil Simiyu, Stephen Ochieng, Edwin Annan, Raphael Omondi, Brighton Moses, Julius Ochieng, Trevor Maluki

Midfielders: Derrick Mchiti, Wayne Wamaya, Derrick Khatete, Rayse Ochieng, Armstrong Omondi, Brighton Nacheri, Denzel Omollo

Forwards: Nicholas Onyango, Trevor Nasasiro, Nathan Achola, Collins Ochieng, Jeconia Agutu, Marcos William