Fans and Kenyans at large have expressed mixed reactions to Kenya’s draw against Nigeria, which consequently eliminated Rising Stars from the CAF 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).Follow our WhatsApp channel for more news Kenya’s elimination in the ongoing U20 AFCON was already sealed even before their final group game, and therefore, their participation came to an end after their final group game, a 2-2 draw with Nigeria.In the match held on Wednesday, 7 May, as has been their norm in the tourney, Rising Stars failed to protect their lead, this time round allowing Nigeria to come back into the game twice.Ticket prices and the four strict rules enforced in stadia at U20 AFCON matchesIn the Wednesday afternoon clash, where assistant coach Anthony Akhulia made several changes, including resting captain Amos Wanjala, Kevin Wangaya converted from the spot after Nigeria had handled the ball in the box to give Kenya the lead inside six minutes.Kenya’s lead lasted just seven minutes as Kparobo Arierhi drew Nigeria level to ensure that it was all square at the break.At half time, Akhulia introduced Andreas Odhiambo and William Gatimu for Ezekiah Omuri and Irad Mshindi, with the substitutions paying off as Gatimu restored Kenya’s lead in the 68th minute.##NAJAVA_MECA_8910042##However, the lead was short-lived as Daniel Bameyi restored parity from the spot after Lawrence Okoth was judged to have fouled a Nigerian player in the danger area.In the end, Kenyans led by FKF President Hussein Mohammed reflected on Rising Stars’ performance in the continental tourney, with Mozzart Sport sampling them in this article.“Well done to the Rising Stars for giving it your all in the #AFCONU20 tournament. This is just the beginning. Let this experience fuel the drive to qualify for more tournaments and to one day compete at the very top,” Mohammed posted on his socials.PLAYER RATINGS: Wangaya dazzles as Kenya bow out of U20 AFCON with proud drawMozzart Sport senior writer Kevin Teya, on his part, elucidated the good and the bad that he observed.“Scoring five goals in three games isn’t a bad return — it’s one of the few positives we can take from the tournament. However, the real shock has been our self-inflicted defensive errors in every match. Every single goal we conceded came from our own mistakes at the back. In the end, we only have ourselves to blame — we’re out of the tournament because we shot ourselves in the foot.##NAJAVA_MECA_8910476##On a brighter note, a few players like Manzur Okwaro, Lawrence Okoth, and Kevin Wangaya stood out with solid performances. Hopefully, this platform opens doors for them beyond the Kenyan league. Overall, I’d rate the team’s performance a 4 out of 10,” said Teya.Sports enthusiast Gabriel Tito was not impressed with the U20 team, whom he feels performed below par.“The overall performance was wanting. It showed Kenyan football’s technical and tactical abilities and physical strength are below par when it comes to playing against the best. Lack of concentration was also a major issue. Rising Stars pick point against Nigeria on their way out of AFCON U20The AFCON U20 tournament is a wake-up call to the technical director and the need to develop an all-inclusive and context-specific football development program that will address the football deficiencies,” said Tito in a WhatsApp text to Mozzart Sport.Ghetto Radio presenter Curtis wa Kijee differed with Tito, and hopes that Harambee Stars’ future team is built around the Rising Stars’ current squad.“Considering the giants that we faced, the performance was not bad. The most important thing would be to build on the draw by playing friendlies regularly and not just assemble them back two weeks before the next qualifiers.##NAJAVA_MECA_8910514##There were promising players for future use, while there are also those who failed to utilise the opportunities they got,” said Curtis.Dino Haji largely agreed with Curtis and went further to disclose what Kenya must do to perform better in future tournaments.“The Rising Stars demonstrated resilience and potential in the U20 AFCON, although they faced challenges when competing against countries with more established youth development systems like Morocco and Tunisia.Mihic urges fans to keep peace as Mashemeji Derby returns to KasaraniSuccess in these tournaments often depends on factors such as preparation, funding, and exposure to competitive friendly matches. If Kenya aims to perform well in future tournaments, it is crucial to invest significantly in youth development structures.”On The Harambee Stars Facebook page, Patrick Maina was left a frustrated man and blamed Kenya’s early exit on the technical bench.“This was our tournament to lose, and lose we did. Looking at all the teams, our team was much better than most of them. I think we had a good team, but a questionable technical bench. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8910422##How many times do we have to pick lessons? When do these lessons begin to be implemented?” he posed.
