Kenya’s Junior Stars have secured a place in the semifinals of the 2025 CECAFA U17 AFCON qualifiers after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Sudan on Sunday evening.
Derrick Wanyonyi’s early strike in the 12th minute proved decisive, giving Kenya their second win of the tournament and taking them to seven points from three matches in Group A. The result leaves Kenya level on points with Ethiopia at the top of the group.
The Junior Stars have shown impressive resilience throughout the competition. After the original group was redrawn, Kenya opened with a commanding 2-1 win over Rwanda before Sunday’s narrow but crucial victory against a determined South Sudan side.
Thursday’s final group fixture against Ethiopia now becomes a straight shootout for top spot. The winner will almost certainly face hosts Uganda in the semifinals, while the runner-up is expected to meet Tanzania.
Only the two finalists from the CECAFA tournament will advance to the 2025 U17 Africa Cup of Nations, keeping them in the race for qualification to the FIFA U17 World Cup.
With momentum building and a semifinal berth already secured, Kenya’s young talents have put themselves in prime position to chase continental glory.
