Kenya’s U20 national team assistant coach, Anthony Akhulia, has attributed the team’s 3-1 defeat to Tunisia in Group B of the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations to a lack of concentration, particularly at the end of the first half.
Kenya approached the match at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo eager to bounce back from their 3-2 opening loss to Morocco. Conversely, Tunisia was determined to avoid a second consecutive defeat after losing 1-0 to Nigeria in their opening match.
Kenya took the lead in a lively encounter when Lawrence Ouma scored in the 38th minute, capitalizing on a clever assist from Hassan Beja.
However, Tunisia equalized just before halftime with a penalty converted by Farès Bousnina, following a VAR review that confirmed a handball by Baron Ochieng in the box. This equalizer shifted the momentum in Tunisia’s favor as the teams went into the break.
The Carthage Eagles dominated the second half after making tactical changes, bringing on substitutes Omar Ben Ali and Alaeddine Derbali, who impacted the game immediately. Ben Ali put Tunisia ahead 2-1 in the 70th minute, finishing confidently from close range under sustained pressure.
Five minutes before the final whistle, Derbali sealed the victory with a stunning long-range strike that soared into the top corner, capping a strong second-half performance by Tunisia and ending a four-match winless streak at the finals.
“I congratulate Tunisia; they played well, took their chances, and won the match. From our side, we didn’t perform to our potential,” said Akhulia. “Compared to our first match, we were slower in our movement, our midfield didn’t function effectively, and our defense struggled once again in vulnerable areas.”
He added, “Overall, I think our performance was lacking; it was not a good match for us. We had lapses at the end of the first half, which also occurred in our first match. Every time we moved forward, we lost concentration. Essentially, there were moments when we needed to elevate our game, but we allowed Tunisia to take control, and that was our greatest downfall. Those lapses at the end of the first half ultimately cost us the match.”
This defeat leaves Kenya’s Rising Stars with minimal chances of qualifying from the group stage as they remain at the bottom with zero points after two matches. They will face Nigeria in their final group stage match on Wednesday, May 7.
