- Kenya is hosting the CECAFA U18 Championships
- The matches will be staged in Kisumu and Kakamega
- The Kenyan team will be coached by Salim Babu of Kenya Police FC
Junior Stars head coach Salim Babu is confident the side can maximize on their home advantage and clinch the CECAFA Under-18 title when the tournament kicks off in Kisumu and Kakamega over the weekend.
Babu, who also doubles up as the assistant coach of FKF Premier League side Kenya Police FC has been given the mantle to lead the team and will be assisted by Bidco United’s Anthony Akhulia and revered schools coach Peter Mayoyo.
Kenya has been drawn in Pool A of the tournament and will take on Sudan in their opening match on Saturday at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu. They have also been drawn with Rwanda and Somalia.
The team travelled to Kisumu by flight on Thursday evening, having trained in Nairobi for the past two weeks.
“This is a very talented group of players and we have taken the right age. The boys are fit and ready because we have been training really well. As a technical bench we have done the best we could to push and motivate them. We have players who have lots of energy and we should expect good things from this group,” the coach noted.
He added; “We are playing at home and definitely, the ambition is to win. We want to ask fans to turn up in large numbers and give these boys support. I am pretty sure they will represent us well.”
Players primarily from school games
The team has picked players primarily from the school games, while they have added the spine of young players from the top leagues led by Kariobangi Sharks’ Stanley Wilson, who was called up for the senior Harambee Stars squad for the friendly matches against Qatar and South Sudan earlier in the year.
His teammate Sigmun Maina has also been called up to the team.
Among the foreign based players who have landed home for the tournament include forward Aldrine Kibet who dazzled for St. Anthony’s Boys’ Kitale during the national school games in August. Kibet has been in Spain after he joined an Academy there.
Kibet says they are ready to do their best and represent the country well.
“We have trained really well as a team and the best thing is that the bond is there, there is good coordination and the mood is positive. We are prepared to go out and do our best and represent the country well,” the midfielder added.
Kenya plays Sudan at 3pm Saturday afternoon, with Somalia facing off with Rwanda in the first Group A match. Group B games will be staged at the Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega with Zanzibar playing South Sudan on Sunday at 12pm before Uganda faces off with Tanzania in the 3pm kick off.
Free entry for the Championships
Meanwhile, Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has announced that entry to the CECAFA Under-18 Championships will be free of charge.
Namwamba has asked fans to turn out in large numbers and support the tournament as Kenya hosts a regional competition for the first time since 2021.
“All these are our neighbors and we want everyone to come out and support them in all the games, but more importantly, Kenya. We want the trophy to remain here,” Ababu said.
The Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu will host Group A matches where Kenya will be involved, while the Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega will host Group B matches.
“We have invested some good amount of money in sprucing up the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu and Bukhungu in Kakamega. This is all in our sprit as government to successfully host regional and continental competitions,” Namwamba said.
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