Kenya U20 shelve plans for Morocco training camp ahead of debut U20 AFCON
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Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 18.04.25. | 14:04
The team will now fly to Egypt to prepare for their first match on 1 May
Kenya men’s U20 team - Rising Stars - have shelved plans to hold a training camp in Morocco ahead of their maiden appearance at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
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A 26-man squad led by head coach Salim Babu had been expected to jet out of the country on Friday, 18 April, for a 10-day training camp in the North African country, only for it to be scrapped at the last minute.
As per sources close to the situation, the move comes after Kenya and Morocco were placed in the same group during last Sunday’s re-draw ceremony, a scenario that made a pre-tournament friendly “impossible.”
Kenya’s U20 team, the Rising Stars, will no longer travel to Morocco for their final AFCON preparations — that plan has officially been scrapped.
— Ole Teya (@TeyaKevin) April 18, 2025
Instead, the team is set to fly out to Egypt on Monday to finalize their build-up ahead of their opening AFCON U20 clash against… pic.twitter.com/j0sub2FSjy
Kenya, who had initially (February) been pooled alongside Sierra Leone, Zambia and reigning champions Senegal, were re-drawn into a tough Group B, which will now see them take on Morocco, Tunisia, and record winners Nigeria.
The move followed the withdrawal of the previous host Ivory Coast, in the last week of March.
As a result, the Rising Stars team will instead fly out to the current host country - Egypt - on Monday, 21 April, in time for their historic debut.
Kenya will play its first match on Thursday, 1 May, against Morocco, before facing Tunisia and Nigeria on Sunday, 4 and Wednesday, 7 May, respectively.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, along with the two best third-placed teams.
The competition will then proceed to the knockout stage, where the four best-performing teams will earn a place in the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Chile from Saturday, 27 to Sunday, 19 October 2025.
On Thursday, the Kenyan team received a significant boost following the arrival of skipper Amos Wanjala, among the last members to join camp.
Final Squad
Goalkeepers
Kevin Oduor, Wycliford Oduor, Benard Jairo
Defenders
Baron Ochieng, Humphrey Obino, Jackson Imbiakha, Joseph Bate, Manzur Okwaro, Amos Wanjala, Telena Ochieng, Collins Ochieng
Midfielders
Kevin Wangaya, Emilio Brian, Irad Mshindi, Humphrey Aroko, Aldrine Kibet, Kelly Madada, Hassan Beja, Ezekiel Omuri, Elly Owande, William Gitama, Javan Omondi, Andreas Odhiambo
Forwards
Lawrence Ouma, Oliver Machaka, Mark Shaban
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