Kenya’s Rising Stars Exit U20 AFCON Following Exciting Draw with Nigeria

The Kenya national U20 squad, known as the Rising Stars, concluded their Group B campaign at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with an exhilarating 2-2 draw against Nigeria at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Wednesday.

Despite suffering defeats in their opening two matches—losing 3-2 to Morocco and 3-1 to Tunisia—the Rising Stars displayed resilience. In contrast, the Flying Eagles had secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Tunisia in their first match and were held to a goalless draw by Morocco.

Nigeria was aiming for at least a point to secure progression to the quarter-finals, but a win would have seen them top the group, contingent on the other Group B match between Morocco and Tunisia finishing in a draw or with a Tunisia victory.

On the other hand, Kenya, already eliminated from the tournament, was playing purely for pride.

The Flying Eagles had recently faced East African teams, scoring a 1-0 win against Uganda in the 2023 quarter-finals, while this match marked Kenya’s first encounter with West African opposition at this stage of the competition.

Kenya’s coach, Salim Babu, positioned Wycliford Oduor in goal, with Manzur Suleiman Okwaro at left back, Joseph Bate Onyango and Jackson Imbiakha in central defence, and Humphrey Kegengo on the right. In front of the defence, Irad Ambugo and Kevin Wangaya provided support, while Hassan Beja and Aldrine Kibet manned the midfield, facilitating attacks from forwards Dalphene Omuri and Lawrence Ouma.

Nigeria’s coach, Aliyu Zubairu, selected Ebenezer Harcourt as goalkeeper, with Adamu Maigari, Emmanuel Chukwu, Daniel Bameyi, and Odinaka Emmanuel Okoro forming the defensive line. Simon Karshe Cletus, Auwal Ibrahim, and Israel Isaac Ayuma filled midfield roles, while the attack was spearheaded by Clinton Degol Jephta on the right wing, Kparobo Arierhi as the sole striker, and Ezekiel Anthony Kpangu on the opposite wing.

Kenya Opens the Scoring

As in their earlier matches, Kenya took the lead early, netting a penalty just six minutes in after a foul on Ouma. Wangaya, who was later named man of the match, converted the penalty, outsmarting keeper Harcourt.

However, the elation was short-lived for Kenya, as Nigeria equalised seven minutes later when Arierhi capitalised on a defensive lapse, slotting the ball past an advancing Oduor.

The first caution of the match was handed to Kenya in the 34th minute when Irad Mshindi received a yellow card for a reckless challenge, followed shortly by Omuri, who was cautioned for a similar foul.

Entering the final group match, Nigeria boasted 27 successful tackles while Kenya led with 34. Nigeria also held the record for the most clean sheets in the group with two, while Kenya had conceded six goals across their first two fixtures.

Both teams had multiple chances, yet half-time arrived with the scores level at 1-1. Kenya made two changes at the start of the second half, bringing on Andres Omondi and William Gitama for Mshindi and Omuri.

In response, Nigeria’s Zubairu introduced three replacements, with Auwal Ibrahim, Ezekiel Kpangu, and Maigari Bajibir making way for Suleiman Alabi Jojo, Rickson Mendos, and Chigozie Ihejiofor.

Despite these substitutions, it was Kenya that managed to regain the lead in the 68th minute, with substitute Gitama scoring through a low shot, initiated by Beja’s contribution before he was replaced by Humphrey Aroko.

However, Nigeria equalised yet again just four minutes later when they were awarded a penalty following a foul on Kpangu. Bameyi stepped up and calmly slotted the ball past Oduor to equalise at 2-2.

Nigeria Completes Group Stage Unbeaten

The draw ensured Nigeria completed the group stage unbeaten for the eighth time. However, Kenya’s two goals marked the end of Nigeria’s perfect defensive record in the tournament. This result allowed the Flying Eagles to advance to the knockout stages for the ninth consecutive tournament.

Since the tournament adopted a single-format structure in 1993, Nigeria has successfully navigated past the group stage ten times, facing elimination only twice (in 1993 and 2001).

In the other fixture of Group B, Tunisia suffered a 3-1 defeat against Morocco at Suez Canal Stadium, thereby exiting the tournament. Morocco took the lead through Ayman Arguigue in the 44th minute, but Tunisia’s Anis Doubal levelled in the 53rd minute.

Two late goals, one from Issa Habri in the 86th minute and another from Jones El-Abdellaoui during stoppage time, secured the victory for Morocco, allowing them to qualify for the quarter-finals alongside Nigeria.

Morocco topped Group B with seven points from two wins and a draw, while Nigeria finished second with five points from one win and two draws. Kenya, making their first appearance in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) tournament, ended on zero points, with Tunisia claiming third place with three points.