Kenya’s head coach, Salim Babu, was over the moon after his side qualified for the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time ever, following their progression to the final of the CECAFA regional qualifiers.
Kenya thrashed Burundi 4-0 in the semi-finals, booking one of the two available slots for the East African region. The country has never qualified for any continental youth competitions, and they follow in the history of the Under-17 girls, who qualified for the World Cup for the first time ever.
Babu talked to Telecomasia.net exclusively from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania:
This is massive for us as a team. We had worked so hard for this, and now we have achieved it. The boys believed. They took on the challenge, and we played with no fear. When we started, we said that this was the minimum target for us. I am happy with the players because they took this so positively, and the belief drove them to perform the way they did.
Kenya’s goals were scored by Luis Ingavi, Aldrine Kibet, Lawrence Okoth, and Hassan Beja. Babu now says their next target is winning the tournament, as they face Tanzania in the final. Kenya beat Tanzania 2-1 when they met in the group stages.
One target is done; now the focus is the next, which is winning this tournament. The confidence is high, and definitely, we want to crown this in the best way possible. It would mean a lot for us and the country.
Babu further notes that the success of the current age group team is a positive sign for Kenya ahead of the 2027 senior AFCON, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
