National U20 team head coach Salim Babu is confident the team will perform exceedingly well at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON U20) despite being drawn against continental heavyweights. Kenya will face Morocco, Tunisia, and Nigeria in Group B of the tournament that is scheduled to run from 27 April to 18 May in Egypt. As part of their final preparations, the team is set to travel to Morocco on Friday, 18 April, for a 10-day pre-tournament training camp. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8859677##On paper, the Kenyan boys stand no chance against their Group B opponent, but coach Babu believes that he has assembled his best arsenals, who will be in Egypt to compete rather than participate. Kenya will open their AFCON U20 campaign with a clash against Nigeria before taking on Tunisia in the subsequent game. Stars will wrap up their group stage matches with a clash against Morocco. Standout players to be rewarded in remainder of 2025 Mozzart Bet Cup”This is a well-rounded and strong squad. I believe the boys have what it takes to compete at the highest level and provide great competition at the U20 AFCON. We are not going just to participate; we are going to compete and make our mark,” said the soft-spoken coach in an interview with FKF media. With the top four teams in the tournament securing tickets to the FIFA U20 World Cup to be hosted in Chile, Babu understands that his charges have to beat the best in Egypt. Earlier on, several members of the team had expressed desire to become the second Kenyan football team to qualify for the World Cup after the national U17 girls’ team, the Junior Starlets. Shabana coach bewildered by omission of red-hot club striker from Rising StarsBabu says the preparations the team has had in Nairobi and the final fine-tuning in Morocco will go a long way in ensuring that the team reaps positive results in Egypt. “We acknowledge that we are in a highly competitive group, but we also understand that to become champions, you must be ready to face the best. Our focus is on thorough preparation to give ourselves the best chance of achieving positive results and progressing deep into the tournament,” he added. Group B Fixtures1 May: Nigeria vs Kenya4 May : Kenya vs Tunisia7 May : Morocco vs KenyaFinal SquadGoalkeepersKevin Oduor, Wycliford Oduor, Benard JairoDefendersBaron Ochieng, Humphrey Obino, Jackson Imbiakha, Joseph Bate, Manzur Okwaro, Amos Wanjala, Telena Ochieng, Collins OchiengMidfieldersKevin Wangaya, Emilio Brian, Irad Mshindi, Humphrey Aroko, Aldrine Kibet, Kelly Madada, Hassan Beja, Ezekiel Omuri, Elly Owande, William Gitamu, Javan Omondi, Andreas OdhiamboForwardsLawrence Ouma, Oliver Machaka, Mark ShabanStandout players to be rewarded in remainder of 2025 Mozzart Bet Cup
