Somalia hold Junior Stars in CECAFA AFCON U17 qualifiers
By Joel Masibo, November 18, 2025Somalia came from behind to force Kenya to a frustrating 1-1 draw in the opening fixture of the 2025 U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The qualifier is under the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) zone, and it was played at Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Tuesday, November 18, 2025.
Junior Stars held
Rayse Ochieng gave Junior Stars the lead on the 31st-minute mark before Anas Mohamed levelled the scores in the 56th minute, forcing the match to end in a disappointing stalemate for head coach William Muluya and his charges.
Junior Stars will be focusing on bouncing back in their second outing at the tournament against Rwanda on November 21, 2025, at 1:00 pm, before squaring off against South Sudan on November 24, 2025, at 4:00 pm. The young Kenyan side will wrap up their group fixtures with a clash against hosts Ethiopia on November 27, 2025, at 3:00 pm.
The regional qualifiers, organised under CECAFA and sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), will determine which teams from East and Central Africa advance to the final tournament of the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Mission to make history
The Junior Stars are placed in Group A alongside hosts Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Rwanda. They will be fighting for one of the two available slots for the 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, with the two finalists earning CECAFA’s slots for next year’s AFCON.
Before the Somalia encounter, the Football Kenya Federation President, Hussein Mohammed, had backed the team and wished them well in Ethiopia.
”Best of luck to the #JuniorStars as they begin their U-17 AFCON qualifiers against Somalia today. Your hard work and determination have brought you this far; it’s now time to put in the work.”
“Let the thrill of the competition bring out the best in you. As a team, you are unstoppable; trust in each other, and victory is all but guaranteed. The whole nation is rallying behind you. Believe in yourself as much as we believe in you,” Mohammed took to X on Tuesday, November 18, 2025.