The Rising Stars under head coach Salim Babu, who were taking part in the tournament for the first time in their history, kicked off their campaign with a narrow 3-2 Group B defeat against Morocco before losing 3-1 against Tunisia in their second outing.
Against the Young Atlas Lions, the Rising Stars forced the North Africans to come from behind twice before securing the win in a pulsating contest that swung from end to end and showcased the raw intensity of youth football on the continent.
Kenya began the match brightly and were rewarded in the 16th minute when Lawrence Ouma rose highest to head home Kevin Injehu’s pinpoint free kick, but Morocco levelled the scores when Yassir Zabiri pounced with a well-placed finish that was eventually confirmed by VAR after initial doubts over a potential infringement.
Just 10 minutes after the start of the second period, Zabiri doubled his tally with a sharp header from close range to give Morocco the lead but Kenya weren’t done yet.
Their vibrant forward play paid off in the 71st minute when Hassan Beja rifled in a shot from the centre of the box following clever link-up play with Aldrine Kibet, levelling the scores at 2-2.
The North Africans kept pressing and reclaimed the lead in the 78th minute. Reda Laalaoui latched onto a clever pass from Saad El Haddad before slotting the ball past the keeper with composure to make it 3-2.
Against Tunisia, who had lost their opener 1-0 against Nigeria, it was Kenya who once again took the lead, and it was the same player, Ouma, who pounced from close range after a smart assist by Hassan Beja.
However, Tunisia found a route back into the game just before the half-time break through a penalty converted by Fares Bousnina, following a VAR review for handball by Baron Ochieng in the box.
The Carthage Eagles emerged dominant after the restart. They introduced substitutes Omar Ben Ali and Alaeddine Derbali, who made an immediate impact.
Ben Ali made it 2-1 in the 70th minute with a composed finish from close range after persistent attacking pressure.
Derbali then sealed the victory five minutes from time with a spectacular long-range strike that flew into the top corner, capping a confident second-half performance from Tunisia and ending a four-match winless run at the finals.
Kenya have played their best
According to former Gor Mahia coach Bob Oyugi, the Rising Stars have put up good performances despite losing the two matches, insisting they should not look down upon themselves but should walk tall with their heads held high after the tournament.
“So far, so good. Our young men have played their best to their level, they should not look down upon themselves as letdowns but should stand tall and be proud of what they have tried to achieve in Egypt,” Oyugi told Flashscore.
“I believe that the coaches and players have learned that in the modern tactical system, football in Africa has come a long way, and it has gone from deploying many forwards to score goals, to playing high-pressure football.
“Against Morocco, Kenya put up a good show. They were the most dominant side, they never panicked despite playing one of the tournament’s previous winners, they put their legs and fought for every ball.
"it is something many did not expect from the side, most thought they would go to Egypt and lose 4-0, 5-0 or even 6-0, but they have proved many wrong.
“To score first, and concede, but again recover quickly to level matters against a team with exposure in that stage of the tournament as Morocco, clearly shows that Kenya’s football is on the right track.
"They proved they were not willing to give the game away, in fact even Morocco’s winning goal was because of a defensive mistake, and it could have been avoided had the ball been cleared. But Kenyan players had thought it was a foul on their captain and Morocco went ahead to sneak the ball in.”
Oyugi continued: “The game was like 50/50, Africa is already developing modern tactical methods and the strategies being used have come a long way from our straightforward formations to more versatile systems of play or structure.
"The Kenya/Morocco game was more interesting- both players were flexible, and could respond quickly to different situations. The dynamic players were capable of performing several positions, and could easily switch to their offensive, and defensive tasks.
"With proper planning, and development of African coaches for the care of skills, the continent has enough talents.”
FKF should keep Rising Stars together for the future
Oyugi, who is the secretary of the Kenya Football Coaches Association (KEFOCA), further called on Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to make sure that they keep the team together and expose them to many international build-up matches.
“FKF should not neglect this team, they need to put them together and expose them to many build-up matches with top teams across Africa,” explained Oyugi, who won the Kenyan Premier League title with record champions Gor Mahia in 1993.
“The quality possessed by players in that team is there for everyone to see, all they need now is to get exposed as much as possible. They need to play with the best out there and must be maintained.”
Oyugi continued: “Modern tactics require players to be specialised in certain positions, and to be aware of complex tactical systems. This is mainly what serious Kenyan coaches have learnt from this tournament.
“We need to work harder on modern trends. FKF should maintain this team as a big future. The players should not feel that they let Kenyans down, the players did a superb job, against superior teams, and scored classic goals.
"The federation needs more cooperation, and several sponsorships. They need more money from the Government for the structural developments.”
Following the two defeats, Kenya’s chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals remain slim but ahead of their third and final group fixture against Nigeria, Oyugi has called on the players to enjoy the game.
“Against Nigeria, they should just play and enjoy the game. Nigeria will be under pressure to beat our young Kenyans because they want to qualify. We look forward to finishing the game with Nigeria with a win, and with proper psychological preparations. We look forward to watching the creativity and artistry of our future players,” he concluded.
Rising Stars are currently lying bottom of their group with zero points from two matches. Morocco are topping it with four points, the same number as second-placed Nigeria, while Tunisia are third with three points.
Kenya’s fixture against Nigeria will be played at 30 June Stadium in Cairo, on Wednesday, May 7th.
