Year-in-Review: Rising Stars shone bright in historic U20 AFCON debut

The year 2025 will be remembered as a landmark moment in Kenyan football history after the national Under-20 team, the Rising Stars, made their maiden appearance at the Africa U20 Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.

Although Kenya did not progress beyond the group stage, the Rising Stars announced themselves on the continental stage with fearless performances that underlined the country’s growing potential at youth level—and the need for structured long-term planning to build on that promise.

Kenya booked their place at the biennial tournament after finishing second at the CECAFA U20 Qualifiers, behind hosts and champions Tanzania. Under the guidance of head coach Salim Babu and assistant Anthony Akhulia, the Rising Stars were handed a daunting group featuring African and world champions Morocco, seven-time African winners Nigeria, and North African powerhouse Tunisia.

The young Kenyans showed no fear. They opened their campaign with a thrilling 3–2 defeat to Morocco, a match decided by costly defensive lapses. A 3–1 loss to Tunisia followed, before Kenya wrapped up their group matches with a spirited 2–2 draw against Nigeria, who went on to qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup.

Notably, Kenya scored first in all three matches—a statistic that highlighted both their attacking quality and their inexperience at this level.

“If you look closely at all our matches, we scored first,” said coach Akhulia after the tournament. “That shows we can score against anyone. The challenge was game management—maintaining control and concentration—which comes with experience.”

Despite exiting the tournament with one point, Kenya earned widespread praise from the CAF Technical Study Group, led by Nigerian legend Daniel Amokachi. Midfielder Kevin Wangaya was named in the tournament’s Best XI for the group stage, a significant individual accolade.

“Kenya impressed us,” Amokachi said. “We considered two of their players for the Best XI, but Kevin Wangaya stood out with his composure, technique and intelligence in midfield.”

The AFCON experience also proved to be a springboard for several Rising Stars players. Defender Manzur Okwaro earned a call-up to the senior Harambee Stars squad for the African Nations Championship (CHAN), co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in August 2025.

Okwaro now features for Nairobi United in the Kenyan Premier League and CAF Confederation Cup. Defender Baron Ochieng secured a move to Egyptian giants Zamalek, while striker Aldrine Kibet joined Spanish side Celta Vigo’s youth setup. Top scorer Lawrence Okoth took his talents to Finland. All four have since been integrated into the senior national team.

“We had challenges in our backline, so we moved Manzur from centre-back to left-back,” Akhulia explained. “He adapted perfectly, which shows his discipline, versatility and talent.”

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Hussein Mohammed, while reviewing the national teams’ performances in 2025, expressed optimism about the future of Kenyan football across all age groups.

“With proper planning, our teams—from U15 to the senior sides, in both men’s and women’s football—will be a force on the continent,” Mohammed said. “Competing against Africa’s best shows that our players mainly lack experience. That will come, and when it does, we will be ready to challenge for honours.”

As the curtain falls on 2025, the message is clear: Kenya’s Rising Stars have lit the path. For the country to move from participation to genuine contention at continental and global tournaments, all stakeholders must now invest in deliberate, sustained preparation across all national teams.