Kenya Lands Favorable Group Ahead of CECAFA U17 AFCON Qualifiers

Kenya's Junior Stars have been drawn into a favorable Group A of the upcoming TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) CECAFA Zonal qualifiers, set to be held in Ethiopia in November.

Kenya will face hosts Ethiopia, Sudan and Rwanda in the quest to seek a ticket to qualify for the continental showpiece for the first time in history.

The draw for the regional tournament was held on Friday at the FUFA FM studio in Mengo, Uganda. The competition, featuring ten teams, is scheduled to run from November 15th to December 2nd across two venues: the Abebe Bikila Stadium and the Dire Dawa Stadium.

Andrew Jackson Oryada, CECAFA's Head of Marketing and Communication, conducted the draw and highlighted the tournament's importance for youth development.

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"We are happy that once again we have a platform created by CAF for the youngsters to play international football at the zonal level," Oryada stated. "The best teams qualify for the African level and finally the FIFA U-17 World Cup."

Group A matches will be held at the Abebe Bikila Stadium. Meanwhile, Group B, featuring defending champions Uganda alongside Tanzania, Djibouti, Sudan, and Burundi, will be based at the Dire Dawa Stadium.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. The two finalists and the winner of the third-place playoff will earn the right to represent the CECAFA zone at the TotalEnergies U-17 AFCON in 2026.

Group A: Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda

Group B: Uganda, Tanzania, Djibouti, Sudan, Burundi