Kenya Under-17 head coach Salim Babu remains confident the Junior Stars can recover from their shaky start in the CECAFA AFCON U17 qualifiers and replicate his recent success with the Under-20 team.Babu’s team began their campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Tanzania in Uganda on Wednesday. To stay in contention for a semi-final spot, they must defeat hosts Uganda in their crucial match on Saturday.The CECAFA qualifiers are fiercely competitive, with only the top two finalists securing a spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) U17 championship scheduled for March in Morocco.##NAJAVA_MECA_8580178##Having recently guided the Kenya U20 side to their maiden AFCON qualification, Babu is optimistic about achieving similar success with the younger squad.Babu, who led the U20 team to the CECAFA regional final last month, expressed his determination to inspire the U17s.”It was a really great achievement with the U20, and it would be amazing to replicate that with this younger side,” he told Telecomasia.net. “I believe we have assembled a strong squad in a short time. The players are motivated by the achievements of their compatriots and want to make history themselves. We’ll give it our all to reach our goal,” he added.Kenya U17 Africa Cup of Nations hopes hanging by a thread after loss to TanzaniaIn the match against Tanzania, Juma Sagwe scored the decisive goal in the 19th minute, capitalizing on a precise pass from Juma Abushiri to slot the ball past Kenya’s goalkeeper, Golan Odiwuor.Tanzania’s head coach, Aggrey Morris Ambros, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, as their win secured a semi-final berth. “I am happy we’ve qualified for the next stage. Now we need to focus on preparing for the semi-finals,” Ambros said.Tanzania leads Group A with four points from two matches, while Uganda sits second with one point after drawing 1-1 with Tanzania in their opening match.Githurai All Stars, Kawasaki set for Sakaja Super Cup showdown after electrifying regional finalsKenya, currently without a point, faces a must-win scenario against Uganda on Saturday to progress.The tournament resumes on December 21, with Somalia taking on Sudan in Group B, while Uganda battles Kenya in the high-stakes Group A clash.##NAJAVA_MECA_8580038##
