Kenya’s U17 team will begin its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) – CECAFA Qualifiers on Wednesday 18 December when they take on neighbours Tanzania at the Nakivubo Hamz Stadium in Kampala, Uganda.CECAFA on Thursday was forced to redraw the qualifying pools following the withdrawal of Ethiopia and Burundi, who had initially been included in the Thursday 28 November draw.Kenya U17 team pooled in ‘group of death’ after AFCON qualifiers redrawIn the aftermath, Kenya, initially drawn in Group B alongside Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, were moved to Group A, where they will now be faced with the uphill task of upstaging Uganda and Tanzania to book their place in the semi-finals.Tournament defending champions Somalia will kick start their campaign against South Sudan in the opening match on Sunday 15 December.The match will be a repeat of the 2022 final as the two sides face off in their Group B encounter.Somalia to open against South Sudan in U-17 AFCON Zonal qualifiershttps://t.co/8NatBkGqVZ pic.twitter.com/2MnZJ6S9pj— Cecafaonline (@Cecafaonline) December 13, 2024 Kenya’s second game will come on Saturday 21 December against the hosts, marking the last fixture before the semis begin on Tuesday 24th.“We are glad all teams passed the mandatory MRI tests to check eligibility and now we are set for action,” said CECAFA Executive Director Auka Gecheo.##NAJAVA_MECA_8571427##The best two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-final stage, while the finalists will automatically qualify for the U-17 AFCON to be held next year.Other Member Associations whose teams will not take part include; Djibouti, Rwanda and Eritrea.Wanyama identifies key challenges hindering growth of football in Kenya
