Kenya’s Under-20 football team, Rising Stars, is determined to make history at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, with defender Amos Wanjala assuring fans that the team is not just participating, but aiming for the title.

As Rising Stars prepare for their opening match against Morocco tomorrow, Wanjala, who plays for Spain’s Athletic Club Torrellano, confidently declared that the squad is well-prepared and ready to defy the odds in a group that includes powerhouses Nigeria, Tunisia and Morocco.

The team, under coach Salim Babu, will be participating in the tournament scheduled to run from April 27 to May 18, 2025, for the first time in the country’s history. They have been drawn in Group B alongside record seven-time champions Nigeria, former winners Tunisia, and Morocco. 

Group A will feature hosts Egypt, the three-time champions, alongside Zambia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Tanzania, while defending champions Senegal are in Group C with the Central African Republic, DR Congo and Ghana. 

The tournament kicked off on Sunday, April 27, with the first match, pitting Zambia against Sierra Leone at Suez Canal Stadium, ending in a 0-0 draw.

The second fixture saw Egypt defeat South Africa 1-0 at Cairo International Stadium. 

Kenya will begin their group fixtures against Morocco tomorrow at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo (kick-off time 21:00 EAT), before they face Tunisia on Saturday, May 4 (kick-off time 18:00 EAT), and wind up their group preliminary matches against Nigeria on Wednesday, May 7th (kick-off time 18:00 EAT). 

With their first game fast approaching, Wanjala, who currently features for Spanish third-tier side Athletic Club Torrellano, believes they have had enough preparations to perform well in the competition. 

“We are ready enough to face any team in the tournament. So far, so good. Any team that comes our way, we will deal with them as they come and handle them the way they deserve to be handled. Like I said before, we are here to win and did not come here as losers,” Wanjala told Flashscore. 

On what Kenyans should expect from the U20 team, Wanjala said: “On expectations from Kenya, they need to have trust in us. They need to know that we are ready to represent them. We will not let them down. They should relax, and we will not disappoint them. We have had the best training heading into the tournament and will give them the results they want. They will definitely enjoy the outcome.” 

Kenya, who booked their ticket to the continental showpiece after a strong showing at the 2024 CECAFA U-20 Qualifiers, where they finished second, narrowly losing the final to Tanzania, started residential camp early, and it is something that Wanjala thinks will work to the team’s advantage. 

“We have had a great camp, and first of all, let me thank Football Kenya Federation (FKF) for providing us with much time to train together and gel as a team so that we can head into the tournament united. I also thank the government, in conjunction with FKF, for allowing us to have camp for a long period,” explained Wanjala. 

“We had a friendly against Ghana, which was a good test match. It ended 2-2, and it means we have a few areas we need to work on. I know even Ghana learned much from us, but from our end, we are focused on how ready our team is. That’s what we’ve been working on, correcting mistakes so that when the tournament kicks off, we will be ready to go.” 

Asked what they want to achieve from the tournament, Wanjala said: “Our first target is to qualify for the World Cup. After we qualify, then we fight for the trophy. But the main target is to use the tournament to qualify for our first-ever World Cup. For us to qualify for the World Cup, we have to win all the matches we are lined up to play.” 

Wanjala concluded: “And for us to win, it will make us champions. So, we always have to win to become champions. I think we have really improved as a team. We have been together for a longer period, and the consistency will help us.” 

Beyond the continental crown, the stakes are high, as the four semi-finalists will earn tickets to represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile 2025.