Kenya’s Junior Stars set for tough competition as Uganda hosts U17 CECAFA qualifiers

Past winners of the CAF African Schools Championship celebrate their victory. (Photo: CECAFA)

By Bashir Mbuthia
Monday, November 10, 2025

Uganda steps in to host the U17 CECAFA Qualifiers, with Kenya’s Junior Stars drawn in a tough Group A alongside Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Rwanda.

Uganda will now host the U17 Africa Cup of Nations CECAFA Qualifiers 2026 after the tournament was moved from Ethiopia, the regional football body has announced.

CECAFA Interim Executive Director Jean Sseninde confirmed the changes to the venue and dates in a statement but did not provide reasons for the move.

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The tournament was originally scheduled to take place in Ethiopia from November 15 to December 4. It will now be held in Uganda from December 6-9.

"We are happy to announce that the regional qualifiers for the CECAFA Zone will now be hosted by Uganda from December 6-9, 2025. This is a very important competition to have the youngsters compete at the Zonal level for boys and girls, and later, we thank Uganda for accepting to host the tournament," said Sseninde.

He added that alongside the competition, CAF will continue its capacity-building programs, including the Young Reporters, Young Referees, and Young Medical Officers initiatives, as well as the CAF D License Coaching Course and CAF Safeguarding workshops.

Kenya's U17 national team, the Junior Stars, have been drawn in Group A alongside Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Rwanda, in what promises to be one of the tournament's most competitive pools. Group B will feature Uganda, Tanzania, Djibouti, Sudan, and Burundi.

The ten-nation tournament will see the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals. The semi-final winners will move on to the final, while the losers will compete for third place. The finalists will secure spots in the 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

On Saturday, Junior Stars head coach William Muluya named his final 25-man squad for the tournament, featuring a mix of Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) footballers.

Since its launch by CAF President Patrice Motsepe in 2022, the CAF African Schools Championship has seen strong performances from CECAFA Zone teams. The first tournament, held in Durban in 2023, crowned Guinea's CS Ben Sekou Sylla as boys' champions and Tanzania's Fountain Gate School as girls' winners.

In 2024, Zanzibar hosted the second edition, where Tanzania took the boys' title and South Africa won the girls' trophy. This year, Ghana hosted the third edition, with Tanzania retaining the boys' crown and the hosts defeating Uganda to claim the girls' championship.