The Kenya U20 men's football team, affectionately dubbed the Rising Stars, have returned from their campaign at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt with a treasure of knowledge, assistant coach Anthony Akhulia has said.
While their journey ended at the group stage, Akhulia reckons the experiences gained are invaluable stepping stones toward a brighter future.
Placed in the formidable Group B alongside heavyweights Nigeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, the Rising Stars faced a daunting challenge.
A commendable 2-2 draw against Nigeria showcased their potential and determination. However, the narrow defeats to Morocco and Tunisia, while disappointing, provided critical insights into the level of competition they must aspire to meet.
Akhulia reflected on the experience with a mix of pride and realism. "At one point, I thought we had let Kenyans down, but then I remembered that it was only our first tournament and we learned a lot of things that we need to start looking into," he said.
"We need to be the Cecafa champions and make it to the semi-finals of the next Afcon. We had more local, friendly matches, but we started our preparations earlier. We could have faced a North African opponent, which would have been crucial as well. Take a look at how our friendly match against Ghana helped us prepare for and deal with Nigeria."
The Rising Stars’ campaign, though brief, was punctuated by opportunities for growth. Akhulia emphasised the need for the team to build on this experience.
"Attending a continental age group championship like this gives young players a huge opportunity to show off their skills, which is beneficial for the national team and its future cogs. But leading them to the top is a strenuous ascent.
"This is a fantastic team; the government and the federation just need to figure out how to keep them together, combine the older players, and add a few more to make it a strong team for Cecafa and Afcon," Akhulia remarked.
Athanus Obango, the head of special projects and national teams at FKF, reiterated the need to establish adequate and efficient development structures for both boys and girls.
"It was an excellent performance. We could highlight the good aspects of their games, particularly the most recent one in which they truly gave it their all and demonstrated tenacity in both attacking and defending. We can function more effectively with appropriate youth structures."
Amos Wanjala, who captained the squad in two of the three matches, said he hoped the lessons learned in Cairo would be useful in the future.
"We have faced both the positive and negative sides, and we will make the necessary corrections where needed. We have learned a lot and will have another opportunity to fight back in the future."
