Kenya's Junior Stars placed in Group A for U17 AFCON region qualifiers

Kenya’s U17 national team, the Junior Stars, have discovered their opponents for the upcoming CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) CECAFA Region Qualifiers, following the official draw held on Friday afternoon at the FUFA FM studios in Mengo, Uganda.

The Junior Stars have been placed in Group A alongside hosts Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Rwanda, in what promises to be one of the tournament’s most competitive pools. Group B will feature defending champions Uganda, Tanzania, Djibouti, Sudan, and Burundi.

The U17 AFCON CECAFA qualifiers will be staged in Ethiopia from November 15 to December 2, 2025, with Group A matches taking place at the Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa, while Group B fixtures will be hosted at the Dire Dawa Stadium.

Speaking during the draw, Andrew Jackson Oryada, the CECAFA Head of Marketing and Communication, emphasized the importance of the regional qualifiers in providing a pathway for young players to compete on the continental and global stage.

“We are happy that once again we have a platform created by CAF for the youngsters to play international football at Zonal level. The best teams qualify for the African level and finally the FIFA U17 World Cup,” noted Oryada.

The ten-nation competition will see the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals, where the Group A winner will face the Group B runner-up and vice versa. The semi-final losers will play in the third-place playoff, while the finalists will battle for the regional crown.

The champions, first runners-up, and second runners-up will earn the right to represent the CECAFA Zone at the 2026 U17 AFCON.

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• Kenya's Junior Stars placed in Group A for U17 AFCON region qualifiers
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