Football Kenya Federation Vice President McDonald Mariga is impressed by the quality of the Rising Stars players.

The junior team is in Egypt for the U20 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign, and the retired midfielder has vowed that the team will get the necessary support.

“The boys we have in our U20 team are good. I do not think we were anywhere near their levels during our time. They are in good hands and under a good technical bench. As FKF, we are pushing and supporting them to achieve their career goals,” Mariga said as quoted by a local media publication.

He is confident that head coach Salim Babu and his technical bench have identified weaknesses witnessed against Morocco in the opening game and fixed them.

“The team has worked on the mistakes and lapses that cost us in our first game. We are not under pressure at all going into our match against Tunisia. They are beatable just like any other team in the tournament,” he added.

How Stars lost to Morocco

They stunned Morocco when they took the lead in the 16th minute when Lawrence Ouma scored from a free kick delivered by Kevin Injehu.

Morocco fought back and equalised when Yassir Zabiri scored. The Moroccan managed a well-driven finish, but his goal was subjected to a VAR check before it was ruled to be a deserved goal.

Zabiri put Morocco ahead in the 55th minute, but Kenya maintained their attacking tempo and equalised in the 71st minute through AFC Leopards’ forward Hassan Beja.

However, Kenya’s fighting spirit was dented in the 78th minute when Reda Laalaoui scored the winning goal for the North Africans.

As Morocco started their campaign with a win, Kenya’s return to the tournament ended on a disappointing note. Kenya last featured in U20 AFCON in 1979.

Kenya will face Tunisia on Sunday, May 4, 2025 at 6:00pm.