Rising Stars coach cheers players despite rough start in Afcon
By Dennis Mabuka, May 7, 2025Kenya’s Rising Stars may be out of the running for a quarter-final spot at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, but the youngsters have been urged to hold their heads high after spirited performances in their historic debut, where they pushed continental giants Morocco and Tunisia to the limit despite narrow defeats.
The Rising Stars, under head coach Salim Babu and taking part in the tournament for the first time in their history, kicked off their campaign with a 3-2 Group ‘B’ defeat against Morocco before losing 3-1 to Tunisia in their second outing.
Against the Young Atlas Lions, the Rising Stars forced the North Africans to come from behind twice before securing the win in a pulsating contest that swung from end to end and showcased the raw intensity of youth football on the continent.
Ouma’s opening goal
Kenya began the match brightly and were rewarded in the 16th minute when Lawrence Ouma rose highest to head home Kevin Injehu’s pinpoint free kick, but Morocco levelled the scores when Yassir Zabiri pounced with a well-placed finish that was eventually confirmed by VAR after initial doubts over a potential infringement.
Just 10 minutes after the start of the second period, Zabiri doubled his tally with a sharp header from close range to give Morocco the lead, but Kenya weren’t done yet. Their vibrant forward play paid off in the 71st minute when Hassan Beja rifled in a shot from the centre of the box following clever link-up play with Aldrine Kibet, levelling the scores at 2-2.
The North Africans kept pressing and reclaimed the lead in the 78th minute.
Reda Laalaoui latched onto a clever pass from Saad El Haddad before slotting the ball past the keeper with composure to make it 3-2.
Against Tunisia, who had lost their opener 1-0 to Nigeria, it was Kenya who once again took the lead, and it was the same player, Ouma, who pounced from close range after a smart assist by Hassan Beja.
The long-range strike
However, Tunisia found a route back into the game just before the half-time break through a penalty converted by Farès Bousnina, following a VAR review for handball by Baron Ochieng in the box. The Carthage Eagles emerged dominant after the restart. They introduced substitutes Omar Ben Ali and Alaeddine Derbali, who made an immediate impact. Ben Ali made it 2-1 in the 70th minute with a composed finish from close range after persistent attacking pressure.
Derbali then sealed the victory five minutes from time with a spectacular long-range strike that flew into the top corner, capping a confident second-half performance from Tunisia and ending a four-match winless run at the finals.
According to former Gor Mahia coach Bob Oyugi, the Rising Stars have put up good performances despite losing the two matches, insisting they should not look down on themselves but should walk tall with their heads held high.
Team Kenya played well
“So far, so good, our young men have played their best to their level; they should not look down on themselves as letdowns but should stand tall and be proud of what they have tried to achieve in Egypt,” Oyugi told Flashscore.
“I believe that the coaches and players have learned that in the modern tactical system, football in Africa has come a long way, and it has gone from deploying many forwards to score goals to playing high-pressure football.
“Against Morocco, Kenya put up a good show. They were the most dominant side; they never panicked despite playing one of the tournament’s previous winners. They put their legs in and fought for every ball, it is something many did not expect from the side. Most thought they would go to Egypt and lose 4-0, 5-0, or even 6-0, but they have proved many wrong.
“To score first, concede, but again recover quickly to level matters against a team with exposure at that stage of the tournament, like Morocco, clearly shows that Kenya’s football is on the right track. They proved they were not willing to give the game away. In fact, even Morocco’s winning goal came because of a defensive mistake that could have been avoided had the ball been cleared. But the Kenyan players thought it was a foul on their captain, and Morocco went ahead to sneak the ball in.”
Oyugi continued: “The game was like 50/50. Africa is already developing modern tactical methods, and the strategies being used have come a long way from our straightforward formations to more versatile systems of play or structure. The Kenya-Morocco game was more interesting; both sets of players were flexible and could respond quickly to different situations.
“The dynamic players were capable of performing in several positions and could easily switch between their offensive and defensive tasks. With proper planning and development of African coaches for skill care, the continent has enough talent.”
Oyugi, who is the secretary of the Kenya Football Coaches Association (KEFOCA), further called on the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to make sure they keep the team together and expose them to many international build-up matches.