by TONY MBALLA
Wednesday November 29, 2023
Kenya's U18 team poses for a photo before they played Sudan in CECAFA U18 Boys championship in Kisumu
Image: ANGWENYI GICHANA
Kenya's Junior Stars head coach Salim Babu has advised his charges not to rest on their laurels after storming semifinals of the Cecafa Under 18 football tournament on Tuesday.
The Kenyan lads punched a ticket to the penultimate stage of the competition following a hard-fought 1-0 win over Rwanda which consolidated their position at the top of Group A log.
Aldrine Kibet's 37th-minute rasping shot was adequate to propel the talent-laden squad to their second consecutive win, right in front of the passionate home crowd at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu.
"We had a good game but we would have been more comfortable with a bigger scoreline. It means we will have to sharpen our attack for better results in our subsequent fixtures," Babu remarked.
Despite claiming back-to-back victories, Babu has asked his vibrant squad to be wary of the opposition that Somalia could pose in their final Group A tie on Saturday.
"As I said earlier, we shall be approaching each of our matches with the zeal, determination, and focus needed to get us up to the final stage of the competition," Babu said.
"We have a very good team that can deliver the desired results at the end of the competition."
Junior Stars set their campaign in motion with a scintillating display of football finesse that saw them thrash Sudan 5-0 in their opening encounter on Saturday.
Rwanda head coach Jean Baptiste lauded his charges for exhibiting great character in the tie, adding that they lost to a more organised opponent.
“We played well and did our best in the match only that we failed to bury the chances we created. All in all, Kenya has brilliant players who understand their attacking and defensive roles which made our work more difficult," Baptiste stated.
"In football, one has to contend with any outcome and we live to fight another day."
Baptiste will eye the scalp of Sudan in their next fixture on Friday with their sights firmly trained on the remaining semi-final slot.