Match Day: Junior Stars face South Sudan in 2026 AFCON U-17 qualifiers
By Joel Masibo, November 24, 2025Kenya’s Junior Stars will aim to cement their position in Group A of the ongoing 2026 Africa Cup of Nations U-17 qualifiers when they take on South Sudan on Monday, November 24, 2025, at the Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
William Muluya’s boys will be seeking to record their back-to-back win at the tournament after stunning Rwanda 2-1 in their second outing on Friday, November 21, 2025, to go second in Group A with four points in two matches.
Fighting in Ethiopia
Before the Rwanda meeting, Junior Stars had shared spoils with Somalia in their opening fixture played at the Abebe Bikila Stadium on Tuesday, November 18, 2025.
Meanwhile, in Group A, Ethiopia have taken early control, sitting top of the standings after three matches. The hosts have registered two wins and one draw, collecting seven points with an impressive goal difference of +5 after scoring nine goals and conceding four.
Juniors Stars still in contention
Kenya remains firmly in contention in second place with four points from two matches. Junior Stars have shown promise in both attack and defence, scoring three goals while conceding two, and will be aiming to close the gap on the leaders in their upcoming fixtures.
Somalia occupy third position with three points, having drawn all three of their matches. Their balanced record of six goals scored and six conceded reflects a competitive but inconsistent campaign so far.
South Sudan sit fourth with one point from two games, struggling defensively after conceding six goals and managing only three in return. Rwanda are rooted at the bottom of the table with no points, having lost both their matches and facing an uphill task to revive their qualification hopes.
With several matches still to play, Group A remains open, and the next round of fixtures will be crucial in determining which teams advance to the next stage of the continental showpiece.