Kenya U 20 vice captain Baron Ochieng has outlined four lessons learnt from Kenya’s uneventful participation in the 2025 CAF U 20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).Kenya qualified as one of the two representatives from the CECAFA region alongside neighbours Tanzania to the biennial continental tourney that was held in Egypt.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more newsThe Rising Stars were eliminated at the group stage level after failing to win even a single match; losing to Morocco and Tunisia, before finishing the group games with a draw against Nigeria.In an interview with NTV, the Kenya U20 right-back, who played in the two losses, shared the lessons that he picked from the AFCON venture, with first coming from an ordeal that saw him and Kevin Wangaya blamed.##NAJAVA_MECA_8943250##“What I learnt is to deal with the present situation instead of waiting for the referee’s whistle,” said Ochieng.The Sofapaka defender couldn’t help but notice the glaring difference between Morocco and Kenya, admitting to the inferiority of the latter.“At the AFCON, I knew that there was football. Let alone the one that we are playing here, there is real football. If you look at how those teams, especially Morocco, play, it is clear that they have been taught football,” he added.As #RisingStars concluded their #AfconU20 campaign, assistant captain Baron Ochieng believes that the next squad will benefit a lot from the experience they have gained in EgyptWatch the interview here pic.twitter.com/0ASByB2FYk— Mozzart Sport Kenya (@MozzartSportKe) May 9, 2025 Reflecting on Morocco’s winner in Kenya’s 3-2 loss to the North African nation in the opening match on Thursday 1 May, where Reda Laalaoui scored from close range in the 78th minute after Ochieng and Wangaya failed to clear the ball, Ochieng shared their judgment of the situation.“The way our captain (Amos Wanjala) fell, the way he jumped, landed, and the sound produced, it scared us. It sent a signal that he was badly injured.That is why Wangaya (Kevin) and I lifted our hands. Even when they scored, our minds were not there, and that was sportsmanship according to us. For them, they have been taught to score first,” he stated.Kenya U20 coach reflects on painful AFCON opener loss to MoroccoFor the former Kibera Black Stars man, effective and efficient utilization of energy is another lesson he picked from the two losses.“I equally learnt how to conserve energy and read moments. Those guys (Morocco and Tunisia) knew when and how to be on the backfoot, and when to attack. We conceded goals immediately after we lost some little concentration.”The solution according to Ochieng is to enhance training for teams to know how to conserve energy and unleash it at the opportune time.Kenya U20 coach identifies trio ripe for Harambee Stars call up“If we can get some training custom made for us, I believe we could go further because we are more energetic. They (Morocco) even told us that we are the toughest opponent they had faced,” he explained.It is also from that experience that Ochieng, who has been a key figure of the team since their U 17 days, drew his third lesson from.“I therefore learnt that as footballers, we need to appreciate that football is not only physical but also mental.”Government issue update on Talanta City Stadium construction [PHOTOS]The fourth lesson that the 19-year-old picked from the tournament was patience. The patience to appreciate when moments are against you and waiting patiently for the right moment from which chances created are converted.“Those guys (Morocco, Tunisia and Nigeria) were patient. We were leading 1-0 but they still left the space for us to play. When they attack and realize that we are defending deep, they move the ball back and build again.They do not pay under pressure. Even when trailing, they are waiting, knowing their moment will come and they punished you by that,” he concluded.Kenya’s group (B) was termed as the ‘group of death’ prior to the tournament, and the teams therein proved why as Morocco went all the way to the finals, losing 1-0 to South Africa.South Africa crowned U-20 AFCON champions after historic win over MoroccoNigeria finished third after edging hosts Egypt 4-1 on post-match penalties following a 1-1 draw in regular time.Nevertheless, all the four last teams gained qualification to the 2025 FIFA U 20 World Cup scheduled for Saturday 27 September 2025 to Sunday 19 October 2025 in Chile.Ochieng has already rejoined his Sofapaka side for the league homestretch and was instrumental and impressive in the team’s 7-1 demolition of Kenyan giants Tusker FC in a FKF Premier League match played on Sunday 18 May at Dandora Stadium.
