President Ruto challenges Rising Stars to reach AFCON U20 final

President William Ruto has called on Kenya’s national men’s U20 football team, Rising Stars, to aim for the final of the 2025 AFCON U20 tournament, set to take place in Egypt from April 27 to May 18. The President made the remarks during the team’s flagging-off ceremony at State House, Nairobi, on Tuesday morning.

In attendance were the Rising Stars squad, members of the technical bench, Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) officials—including President Hussein Mohammed, Vice President McDonald Mariga, CEO Harold Ndege, and National Executive Committee (NEC) members—as well as Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy and his staff, which included FKF Football Development Officer Francis Kimanzi.

Addressing the team, President Ruto said, "I will be there in Egypt to cheer you on if you make the final. Please make us proud."

He also commended the team for qualifying for the tournament, marking Kenya’s first appearance in the competition under its current format.

Kenya had previously featured in the inaugural African Youth Championship—the precursor to AFCON U20—in 1979, when qualification was determined through a home-and-away knockout system for the FIFA World Youth Championship.

Ruto emphasised Kenya’s sporting prowess, stating: "Kenya is a great sporting nation, and your performance is proof that our youth have what it takes to excel in regional and global competitions."

"The fact that we have Kenyan footballers playing for clubs with a global footprint shows the depth of talent we possess," he added.

We are setting up the right sports infrastructure to support our youth in harnessing and nurturing their talents.

Our prime focus is to elevate Kenya’s profile in the globe and commercialise our football — just like in athletics.

At State House, handed over the flag to the… pic.twitter.com/i8MyG3ugW3

— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) April 15, 2025

The President challenged FKF President Hussein Mohammed and the federation’s leadership to elevate Kenya’s football performance to match that of athletics.

"We have had a challenge in football, and you, Hussein Mohamed and FKF have a job to do to make sure Kenyan football is at par with athletics in terms of performance," Ruto said.

"We assure you of our goodwill and support. Already we are building the Talanta Stadium, which will be a football only venue to give football more prestige in this country. We are also upgrading other grounds and are in the process of establishing 37 sports academies across Kenya so that talents can be nurtured," he added.

Sports CS Salim Mvurya echoed the President’s sentiments, stating that Rising Stars’ qualification reflects the Ministry’s commitment to sports development through infrastructure improvement and logistical support.

He also confirmed progress in preparations for CHAN 2025 and AFCON 2027, noting that hosting rights fees have already been paid.

"We are also making good progress in our preparations to host CHAN 2025 and AFCON 2027, having already paid for the hosting rights," Mvurya said.

FKF President Hussein Mohammed reiterated the federation’s dedication to revitalising Kenyan football. "FKF is committed to the youth of Kenya. The government’s investment in infrastructure makes our work easier as we strive to revive football at all levels."

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Assistant captain Baron Ochieng’, standing in for captain Amos Wanjala (yet to join the squad), vowed that the team would fight for Kenya’s honour.

"Our preparations have gone well. It’s a privilege to represent Kenya, and in Egypt, we will fight as brothers to make our nation proud," he said.

President Ruto praised Ochieng’s confidence and leadership, saying, "Baron, you are a great leader. I admire your confidence and that of your team. You have my full support."

The Rising Stars will travel to Morocco for a 10-day training camp before heading to Egypt.

The team has been pooled in Group B with Nigeria, who are the competition's record champions with seven titles; 1997 winners Morocco; and 1985 runners-up Tunisia.

Rising Stars will play their first match of the tournament against Morocco on May 1 before taking on Tunisia on May 4. Their last group match will be against Nigeria on May 7.

Rising Stars will qualify for the quarterfinals if they finish first or second in Group B or rank among the two best third-placed teams.

Per tournament rules, the top two teams in each group will qualify for the quarterfinals, along with the two best third-placed teams.

To determine the ranking of third-placed teams, results against the fifth-placed team in Group A will be excluded so that all teams are evaluated based on their record against three opponents.

The four teams that reach the semifinals will qualify for the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup, set to take place in Chile from September 27 to October 19.