The team under coach Salim Babu will be participating in the tournament scheduled to run from April 27th to May 18th, 2025, for the first time in the country’s history.
The 18th edition (25th if editions of the tournament without hosts are included), will feature 13 nations battling for continental supremacy and four qualification spots to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile 2025.
During the final draw conducted by Confederation of African Football (CAF) after Ivory Coast withdrew as host nation, Kenya were drawn in Group B alongside record seven-time champions Nigeria, former winners Tunisia and Morocco.
Hosts Egypt, who are the three-time champions, headlined Group A, where they were pitted against Zambia, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Tanzania while defending champions Senegal were drawn in Group C alongside the Central African Republic, DR Congo, and Ghana - with the latter aiming to reclaim the title they won in 2009, the same year they became the only African team to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
When is the opening match and what kick-off time?
Kenya will begin their group fixtures against Morocco on Thursday, May 1st, at 30 June Stadium in Cairo (kick-off time 21:00hrs EAT). However, the tournament proper will kick-off on Sunday, April 27th with two Group A matches lined up.
Zambia will take on Sierra Leone, who just like Kenya, will be participating at this stage for the first time, before hosts Egypt confront South Africa. Both matches will be played at the Suez Canal Stadium.
Rising Stars’ second fixture will be against Tunisia on Saturday, May 4th (kick-off time 18:00hr EAT), before they wind up their group preliminary matches against Nigeria on Wednesday, May 7th (kick-off time 18:00hrs EAT). All of Kenya’s group matches will be played at 30 June Stadium.
Which venues will host the tournament?
The host country for the final stage of the edition was decided at the annual 2024 CAF Executive Committee meeting and CAF Awards in Marrakesh, Morocco on December 16th, 2024, with CAF appointing Ivory Coast as hosts.
However, on March 26th, 2025, it was announced that Ivory Coast had withdrawn as hosts, also forfeiting their automatic qualification spot. The new host country was not immediately announced.
But on March 27th, 2025, it was announced that Egypt would replace Ivory Coast as hosts. Egypt had previously submitted a bid to host the tournament during the initial bidding process. The opening match was pushed back one day to April 27th.
Four venues will stage the tournament, the first being Cairo International Stadium, an Olympic-standard, multi-use stadium with an all-seated capacity of 75,000. The stadium is located about 10 km west of Cairo International Airport and about 10 km from downtown Cairo. In 2005, it was renovated in preparation for the 2006 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The second venue will be 30 June Stadium, where Kenya’s Rising Stars will play their group matches. The stadium has a capacity of 30,000 and it is one of the venues of the Egyptian Premier League, and the home ground of the Egyptian Premier League side Pyramids F.C.
Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia will be the third venue for the youth tournament. The stadium currently has a capacity of 22,000. It was demolished and was completely reconstructed between 2019 and 2022.
The Suez Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium located in Suez, Egypt, will also host some matches. The stadium, which has the capacity of 27,000 people, and was opened in 1990, was one of the venues for the 2019 AFCON with eight matches of the competition being played at the stadium.
Where can you watch the game on TV?
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will provide a live link for all the matches, starting from the opening game to the final. World governing body FIFA will also provide a live coverage link.
Locally, no television has confirmed it will air the matches from Egypt.
How did Rising Stars qualify?
Rising Stars' journey to the continental tournament has been marked by resilience and a hunger for success, and the squad is determined to show their potential on the big stage.
Kenya booked their ticket to the continental showpiece after a strong showing at the 2024 CECAFA U20 Qualifiers, where they finished second, narrowly losing the final to Tanzania.
Their road to the finals saw them dominate the competition with a series of excellent performances, including a commanding 4-0 victory over Burundi in the semi-finals.
The Rising Stars went unbeaten throughout the tournament, with four wins and one draw, scoring 14 goals and conceding just one. Despite falling short in the final to Tanzania, their overall display showed the world that Kenya’s youth football is on the rise.
The qualification was a major milestone for the country’s youth football development, giving the Rising Stars the opportunity to compete on a continental stage and showcase their talent against Africa’s best.
While the Rising Stars are yet to earn silverware in this age category, their consistent development at youth levels suggests that they will be a formidable force in the competition.
Key players for Kenya
Though they will go into the tournament as underdogs, Kenya have some players who have impressed previously and could help them go far in the competition.
Some of their key players include Amos Wanjala, who led from the front as Kenya qualified for the tournament going unbeaten throughout and showcasing their attacking flair with 14 goals scored and just one conceded.
Manzur Okwaro and Ezekiel Omuri are the other players in Kenya’s travelling squad. Okwaro’s solid presence at the back, leadership and defensive solidity makes him one of Kenya’s most reliable players while Omuri’s speed and technical ability makes him a constant threat in front of goal.
What did coach Salim Babu say?
Babu has confidently assured the East African nation that they will do everything in their means to get out of the group stages of the tournament.
“While everybody knows Kenya has never been at this stage before, we will definitely go into the tournament as underdogs, but we know ourselves better, we know the kind of quality we have in the team, we know the kind of players we have in the squad, and we know what we want, and where we want to go,” Babu told Flashscore.
“If we win our first and second match, we are in the quarters, and that is our main target, it is our plan, nothing else, we want to be in the quarters, we want to get out of the group, nothing will be spared until we achieve the goal.”
Babu, however, remained cautious: “It is not an easy group like many people are insinuating, we have to do our best and when we go there, we must have a plan on why we are playing in the tournament, we must know what we are looking for, and what we want to achieve.”
Rising Stars captain Baron Ochieng said Kenya will not fear anyone during the tournament in the North African nation.
“Facing Morocco is nothing to fear about because before the draw changed, if we did well from the group stages, it means we could have come up against them, maybe even at the quarter-finals or even at the semis stage, we were definitely going to play Morocco and the rest of the so-called giants, so we don’t have to fear facing them or anyone at the group stage.”
The Sofapaka player concluded: “So, we are prepared for the task ahead and we are good to go, as players we don’t have to blame the weather if results don’t go our way, most of the players, who stay in Nairobi, sometimes we go to Mombasa to play matches, and we end up winning, so we must adapt, we will definitely adapt with the weather.”
The tournament will follow a three-group format. Group A contains five teams, while Groups B and C feature four teams each. The top two teams from each pool, along with the two best third-placed teams, will progress to the quarter-finals, with the tournament concluding on May 18th, 2025.
