Fans and Kenyans in general have expressed mixed reactions to Kenya U20’s loss to their Tunisian counterparts.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more news Kenya faced Tunisia in their second match at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) match played on Sunday, 4 May at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, with Tunisia winning 3-1.Just like it was against Morocco, Kenya took the lead through Lawrence Ouma’s 38th-minute strike, but Tunisia found an equaliser in the 18th minute of first-half added time through a Fares Bousnina goal from the spot after Baron Ochieng had handled in the box.TACTICAL ANALYSIS: Gor Mahia’s strategy that thrived in chaos against ShabanaIn the second half, an error from the Kenyan defense and goalkeeping saw Tunisia take the lead in the 69th minute courtesy of Omar Ben Ali before Aleadine Derbali guaranteed Tunisia the win with his 85th-minute goal from the wing that initially looked like a cross.With Kenya now losing their first two games in the tournament, the Rising Stars’ progression in the continental tourney hinges on their final group match against Nigeria, where they hope to make it through the knockout stages by virtue of being the best third-placed team. At the end of it, fans took to various social media platforms to share their reactions, with the majority of them registering their disappointment. We sampled some from KPL Chat, Harambee Stars Facebook page and Mozzart Sport Senior Writer, Kevin Teya’s Facebook page.##NAJAVA_MECA_8901605##“Beja really has a lot of experience. He looked like the only one who could score. We did not have a chance to see Madada play, plus Wangaya is more like No.8 and not a defensive midfielder,” said Fredrick Lutta.Kenix David was disappointed by Kenya’s attacking approach, which, to him, lacked the punch needed for the game.When we got the ball, we were completely clueless on what to do with the ball in front of the goal. It is really embarrassing,” he stated.Gor Mahia confirm venue and date for 97th Mashemeji Derby clashKiptoo Kevin was equally disappointed by Kenya’s tactics and inability to possess the ball for long spells.“Another thing is individual football. The team cannot make 10 passes before launching it to Tunisia to attack. It is just painful watching our national teams. When you think they got it, all of a sudden they spill it,” noted Kiptoo.For Afande Cele, the Rising Stars were not prepared for the U20 AFCON.##NAJAVA_MECA_8900966##“Those kids were nowhere ready for this level of tournament. What was that?” she posed.Val Victor thought otherwise. For him, the fact that this was Kenya’s debut in the tournament is a testament to the fact that the levels are higher than what Kenyans expected.“But Kenyans are so entitled. These teams have well-established academies. Playing AFCON is normal for them; they have played the World Cup, some have even won the World Cup. It is our 1st appearance, and you expect us to reach the finals? The lads tried,” he remarked.U20 AFCON Diary: Cheap fuel in plenty as sanity reigns in Egyptian roadsKiata Mburu believes the team is okay but lacks an efficient technical bench.“The boys played very well, especially in the first half, but I think we need a more exposed technical staff. I am sure if we had someone of the calibre of McCarthy, results would have been different,” he said.Patrick Maina was a disappointed man, bearing in mind the resources that were used to prepare the team.##NAJAVA_MECA_8900935##“Man, this is so sad. With all the investment that has gone into this team, I was hoping we would compete and not participate. We made the same mistakes we did in the last game,” he said.For Kenyan Cop, the unavailability of Stanley Wilson in the defensive midfield position cost the Rising Stars.“We have really missed the energy of Stanley Wilson,” said Mwas, the fit Kenyan cop.TACTICAL ANALYSIS: How Kenya U20’s smart approach was undone by TunisiaFor Angela Awuor, Kenya’s problem was more of team selection ahead of the tournament.“We once again lost because of the poor team selection by the technical bench prior to the tournament. We went to Egypt without a defensive midfielder and dropped players with Premier League experience who would have helped our cause. We lost it even before boarding the plane to AFCON,” she remarked.
