On a tense Tuesday afternoon in Addis Ababa, the Kenya vs Ethiopia U17 AFCON qualifier playoff turned from a dream into a nightmare for the Junior Stars, as a 3-0 defeat ended their hopes of reaching the 2026 Africa U17 Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Winner takes all in Abebe Bikila pressure cooker
The third place playoff at Abebe Bikila Stadium was far more than a consolation match. With Uganda and Tanzania already in the final and assured of their AFCON tickets, this clash between Kenya and Ethiopia was a straight shootout for CECAFA’s last remaining slot at the continental showpiece.
Both sides came into the playoff wounded. Kenya were still processing a 3-1 semi final defeat to Tanzania, where a missed penalty and defensive lapses proved decisive. Ethiopia had been humbled 3-0 by Uganda and needed to convince their own supporters that the semifinal collapse was an aberration, not a trend.
Journey of belief for the Junior Stars
That the Junior Stars even stood ninety minutes away from Morocco was a story of resilience. Their campaign in Addis Ababa had started with a 1-1 draw against Somalia on 18 November 2025, a cagey opener that hinted at both promise and inexperience.
Then came a stirring comeback 2-1 win over Rwanda on 21 November, a result that showcased the team’s character under coach William Muluya. From going behind to turning the match around, Kenya proved they had the mentality for tournament football.
A 2-0 victory against South Sudan on 24 November underlined that growth. The Junior Stars controlled proceedings, found their attacking rhythm and looked every bit a side capable of punching a ticket to the 2026 U17 AFCON.
But the first warning shot came in the group stage meeting with Ethiopia. In a tight encounter, the hosts edged Kenya 1-0, handing the Junior Stars their only group defeat but not derailing qualification. Kenya still finished second in Group A with seven points and marched into the semi finals with cautious optimism.
The Tanzania semi final that changed everything
Against Tanzania in the semifinals, Kenya’s AFCON destiny felt within reach. The winner would go straight to Morocco, no second chances required. Instead, it became a lesson in how quickly football can punish missed opportunities.
Muluya would later pinpoint two moments that haunted his side. The first was a 12th minute penalty squandered by Nicholas Achola. Had that spot kick been converted, the entire narrative of the semi final might have changed. Instead, within moments, Tanzania struck from a set piece that Kenya failed to defend properly.
As the coach explained, it was a combination of failing to seize chances and failing to protect their own box. Later, as Kenya attacked a corner generated from another missed opportunity, the defenders lost the ball, were caught out of position and were punished again.
Kenya fought to the end, pulling a goal back in the 89th minute through substitute Armstrong Omondi, but as they pushed bodies forward they left spaces behind. Tanzania added a third in stoppage time, capitalising on the chaos of a team desperately chasing the game.
“We have to correct the mistakes. It is the final 90 minutes we have. Having lost the chance we had, we have to give everything for third place,” Muluya stressed in the aftermath of the semi final.
Assistant coach Peter Okidi framed the playoff against Ethiopia as a game of tactics and discipline, the product of long discussions within the technical bench and the dressing room. The message was clear, the Junior Stars had lost their direct route to AFCON, but the back door was still open if they were brave and smart enough to walk through it.
A tense first half in the playoff against Ethiopia
When Kenya and Ethiopia walked out at Abebe Bikila Stadium for the playoff, the stakes were written on every face. The stands were firmly behind the hosts, and the occasion carried the weight of national expectation for both sets of teenagers.
Muluya responded by naming a strong starting eleven. Georgian Omondi was trusted in goal, protected by a backline including Raphael Omondi and the hard working Julius Buong, with Cosmas Masitsa marshalling the defensive shape.
In midfield, Nicholas Ochola and Derrick Obote were tasked with dictating tempo and linking defence with attack. Up front, Yusuf Mohamed and Trevor Nasasiro were handed the responsibility of carrying Kenya’s scoring hopes, while Nevil Wafula offered threat and energy from the flank.
The opening 45 minutes mirrored the tension. Both teams prioritised defensive solidity over risk, seemingly aware that one mistake could decide a ticket to Morocco. Kenya showed flashes of their potential through Wafula’s surges on the wing, but the final ball was often imprecise.
Ethiopia carried a threat of their own through Amir Misbah Muzemil and Cherinet Ufaysa Galda, two players who looked capable of unsettling the Kenyan defence. Yet Masitsa and company held firm, repelling danger and ensuring that the sides went into the break locked at 0-0.
Second half shift as Ethiopia seize control
The story of this Kenya vs Ethiopia U17 AFCON qualifier was written after the restart. Ethiopia emerged from the tunnel with renewed purpose and a clear intention to raise the tempo. They started to dominate possession, forcing Kenya deeper, pass by pass.
Kenya tried to stay compact, to weather the early second half storm, but the pressure gradually stretched their shape. The hosts, backed by a partisan crowd, began to probe the half spaces and push their full backs higher, sensing that the momentum had tilted.
On 66 minutes, the moment that would define the afternoon arrived. Ethiopian midfielder and forward Dawit Kasaw Yirdaw received the ball in space, spotted Omondi slightly off his line, and produced a superb looping finish that sailed over the goalkeeper and dipped into the net.
Kenya protested for offside, their arms raised more in desperation than conviction, but the goal stood. From a Kenyan perspective, it felt like a cruel echo of the Tanzania semi final, another decisive moment where positioning and concentration told against them.
Junior Stars crumble under Ethiopian pressure
Conceding first in such a high stakes match can be psychologically devastating. For the Junior Stars, the Kasaw goal appeared to cut deep. They were suddenly caught between the need to push forward and the fear of being picked off again.
As they committed more men into attack in search of an equaliser, spaces opened in behind. Substitutions from the Kenyan bench tried to inject fresh legs and ideas, but the mental blow of falling behind remained visible in their body language.
Ethiopia, sensing vulnerability, became increasingly ruthless. In the 78th minute, a defensive error in Kenya’s own territory gifted the ball to Ethiopia captain Binyam Abrha Teare. He needed no second invitation, taking advantage of the mistake to calmly slot home and double the advantage.
At 2-0 down with less than fifteen minutes to play, Kenya’s AFCON hopes were hanging by a thread. Still, they threw everything forward, chasing at least one goal to ignite a late comeback. Instead, the aggression turned into exposure.
In stoppage time, as the Junior Stars pushed high and structure dissolved, Ethiopia launched a swift counter attack. A Kenyan goalkeeping error left the defence completely exposed and the ball sat up invitingly for Biruk Eyilachew inside the box. His powerful header into the bottom corner made it 3-0, sparked wild celebrations in the stands and hammered the final nail into Kenya’s qualification bid.
Final score and confirmed lineups
The final whistle confirmed a harsh reality for Kenya. The Junior Stars had fallen 3-0 to Ethiopia in a match that had started on even terms, and with it their place at the 2026 U17 AFCON in Morocco evaporated.
Kenya starting lineup
- Goalkeeper, Georgian Omondi
- Defenders, Raphael Omondi, Julius Buong, Nevil Wafula, Cosmas Masitsa.
- Midfielders, Nicholas Ochola, Derrick Obote, Armstrong Omondi.
- Forwards, Trevor Nasasiro, Yusuf Mohamed, Eugine Ochieng.
Ethiopia starting lineup
- Goalkeeper, Temesgen Kebede Tadesse
- Defenders, Zelalem Mengistu Duko, Efison Kidane Kindo, Eniyew Silesh Badege.
- Midfield and attack, Dawit Kasaw Yirdaw, Binyam Abrha Teare, Kalid Akmel Reshad, Amir Misbah Muzemil, Cherinet Ufaysa Galda, Tinsae Mengistu Asefa, Dinkneh Woldeyohannes Lunchoro.
Tactical lessons from a painful defeat
Across both the Tanzania semi final and this playoff loss to Ethiopia, a few themes emerged for Kenya. The first was the cost of not taking chances at key moments, as seen in the missed penalty against Tanzania and the lack of precision in the final third against Ethiopia.
The second was the recurring issue of defensive concentration. Set piece defending hurt them in the semi final. Against Ethiopia, it was positioning and individual errors, particularly on the second and third goals, that compounded the damage once the deadlock was broken.
Muluya had spoken openly about depth in attack, pointing out that once key forwards like Nicholas Achola, Trevor Nasarasiro and Derrick Obote tired in the Tanzania match, there was a noticeable drop in offensive sharpness. In the playoff, despite a reshuffled lineup, Kenya again struggled to find the cutting edge when it truly mattered.
Assistant coach Okidi had flagged discipline and unity as non negotiables for the Ethiopia game. For long stretches, especially in the first half, Kenya showed those qualities. The difficulty came when they fell behind, where psychological resilience and game management were severely tested by the pressure of the occasion and the roar of the home crowd.
The human side of heartbreak
When the full time whistle sounded in Addis Ababa, statistics felt insufficient to capture the scene. The Kenyan players sank to the turf, some with heads in hands, others staring blankly at the Ethiopian celebrations unfolding around them.
For teenagers who had spent weeks in camp, who had grown from a nervy opener against Somalia to competing in a winner takes all playoff, the 3-0 scoreline was not merely a defeat. It was the abrupt end of a dream that had seemed so close they could almost touch it.
Yet within the disappointment lies a foundation. The Junior Stars showed over the course of the tournament that they can compete in the region, that they can come from behind, and that they can learn quickly. Their group stage run, their late fightback attempts, and the tactical introspection of their technical bench all point to a program that is still evolving.
What next for Kenya’s U17 generation
Kenya will have another opportunity to try and qualify for the U17 AFCON in December 2026. For many of the players involved in this cycle, that will mean either graduating to older age categories or fighting for places among a new crop of talents inspired by their journey.
For the Football Kenya Federation and the technical team, the Addis Ababa campaign offers a clear roadmap for improvement. Sharpening finishing, enhancing defensive organisation, building deeper attacking options and nurturing mental resilience in knockout situations will all be priorities.
For the players, the pain of Addis may, in time, become the fuel that drives their careers. They have already experienced what it means to carry a flag, to sing an anthem in front of a hostile crowd, to feel the weight of a nation on their shoulders at an early age.
These are not just statistics, they are scars, memories and lessons that can shape stronger footballers and more mature young men. The 3-0 loss to Ethiopia will always sting, but it may also be remembered as the crucible in which the next generation of Kenyan internationals was hardened.
How Ethiopia seized their moment
From an Ethiopian perspective, the playoff was a story of redemption. Having already defeated Kenya 1-0 in the group stage, they arrived in the playoff under pressure after a heavy 3-0 defeat to Uganda in the semifinal.
Instead of folding, the hosts leaned on their home support and their technical quality. Kasaw’s sublime opener, Teare’s captain’s finish and Eyilachew’s stoppage time header showed a side capable of capitalising on key moments and punishing opponents when they waver.
Their second half dominance highlighted a tactical maturity, as they adjusted to Kenya’s attempts to press and took advantage of the spaces left behind. In front of a crowd that swung from anxious to ecstatic, Ethiopia secured not only a 3-0 win but a coveted place at the 2026 U17 AFCON.
