Kenya U20 head coach Salim Babu has announced his final squad for the upcoming Africa U20 Cup of Nations (AFCON), set to take place in Egypt starting April 27.
The team has undergone intense training for the past four weeks in preparation for the tournament, which marks Kenya’s debut under the new format.
The Rising Stars secured their spot in the tournament by reaching the CECAFA qualifiers final, where they were narrowly defeated 2-1 by Tanzania. Both Kenya and Tanzania will participate in the AFCON finals.
In his squad selection, Babu has chosen to exclude all foreign-born players who had been part of the training sessions, allowing a significant number of players who featured in the qualifiers to earn their positions in the final lineup.
Goalkeepers:
- Kevin Oduor
- Wyclifford Oduor
- Bernard Jairo
Defenders:
- Baron Ochieng
- Humphrey Obina
- Jackson Imbiakha
- Joseph Bate
- Manzu Okwaro
- Amos Wanjala
- Talena Ochieng
- Collins Ochieng
Midfielders:
- Kevin Wangaya
- Emilio Brian
- Irad Mshindi
- Mark Shaban
- Humphrey Aroko
- Aldrine Kibet
- Kelly Madada
Attackers:
- Hassan Beja
- Ezekieh Omuri
- Elly Owande
- William Gitama
- Javan Omondi
- Lawrence Ouma
- Oliver Machaka
Coach Babu emphasized the team’s primary objective: to qualify for the U20 World Cup, which requires a semifinal finish at the AFCON tournament.
“Our goal is to reach the World Cup, and to do that, we must make it to the semifinals. I believe we have the quality to get there, and weβre fully committed to achieving that dream,β Babu stated.
The team is set to depart for Morocco on Wednesday, where they will hold a 10-day training camp before heading to Egypt.
