Rising Stars’ AFCON U20 preparations continue amid hosting crisis

Rising Stars Assistant Captain Baron Ochieng in training (C) FKF Media

By Rama & Michael
Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Kenya’s U20 national football team, the Rising Stars, are pushing ahead with their preparations for the 2025 AFCON U20 tournament despite fresh uncertainty over the competition’s venue. The tournament was set to be held in Ivory Coast, but the West African nation has withdrawn as hosts, leaving CAF scrambling to find a replacement. Despite this setback, head coach Salim Babu remains confident in his team’s readiness as they prepare for their historic debut.

The Kenya U20 national football team, the Rising Stars, remain focused on their preparations for the 2025 AFCON U20 tournament despite uncertainty following Ivory Coast’s withdrawal as hosts. The tournament, initially set to be held in the West African nation from April 26 to May 18, now awaits a new venue as CAF seeks a replacement.

Head coach Salim Babu has expressed confidence in his squad’s preparations, emphasising the team’s determination to make a mark in their debut appearance at the tournament.

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“Preparations have been good, one week of good training, and the competition has been high because everyone is eager to make the final squad. We have around five foreign-based players who are yet to join the team, and once they do, we will have a complete squad,” Babu stated.

Despite being underdogs in a tough Group C alongside defending champions Senegal, 2017 winners Zambia, and fellow debutants Sierra Leone, the Rising Stars are optimistic about progressing past the group stage.

“We are going there as underdogs, and our target is to just get out of the group stage and into the quarters. We have prepared well, and I know we can do well. Kenyans have huge expectations, and I want to assure them we won’t let them down,” Babu added.

Assistant captain Baron Ochieng also highlighted the team’s early preparations as a key advantage, pointing out their strong chemistry.

“We are progressing well and have gelled as a team because of the early preparations. Most of these players were in the U18 squad from 2023, so we have chemistry. The group is fair, and I think we can match up to Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Zambia. We are not going there just for a trip, and I believe we can go all the way to the final,” Ochieng said.

However, uncertainty now looms over the tournament after the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) announced its decision to withdraw from hosting, citing logistical constraints. The news came barely 24 hours after CAF had released the fixtures, with Kenya set to open their campaign against Sierra Leone on May 1, followed by matches against Zambia on May 4 and Senegal on May 7.

CAF faces pressure to secure a new host for the 13-team competition, which will determine Africa’s four representatives at the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile. The four semifinalists from the tournament will qualify for the global event set to take place from September 27 to October 19.

With Rising Stars eager to test themselves on the continental stage, all eyes are now on CAF’s next move in securing a new venue for the prestigious youth tournament.