Kenya’s Emerging Stars moved closer to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Under-23 finals after defeating Côte d’Ivoire 2-1 in the first leg of their second-round qualifying tie at Nyayo National Stadium on Wednesday, November 11.
Henry Omollo and Andres Odhiambo scored for head coach Anthony Kimani’s side, giving Kenya a one-goal advantage to defend when the two teams meet again in Abidjan next week.
The victory puts the Emerging Stars in a promising position to progress to the third and final qualifying round, although they must negotiate a difficult away fixture against the West Africans to keep their continental ambitions alive.
Kenya entered the contest seeking to make home advantage count against an Ivorian side that had received a bye in the opening qualifying round and was making its first appearance in the campaign.
The result also gives Kimani’s charges an opportunity to build on their progress in the previous qualifying round, where they eliminated regional rivals Tanzania 5-4 on aggregate.
The Emerging Stars began that campaign with a convincing 4-1 victory at Nyayo National Stadium on September 28 before losing 3-1 in the return fixture at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam on October 6.
Despite the defeat away from home, Kenya held on to their aggregate advantage to secure a place in the second round.
Andres Odhiambo was also among the scorers in the return fixture against Tanzania, contributing an important goal to the team’s progression.
Kimani had strengthened his squad ahead of the Côte d’Ivoire encounter with the return of Spain-based midfielder Aldrine Kibet and Sweden-based Humphrey Aroko, who missed the Tanzania fixtures.
Jack Munene Steel was another notable addition to the squad, bringing experience from playing in different football environments.
However, AFC Leopards midfielder Kelly Madada missed the encounter through suspension, while defender Joseph Bate was unavailable because of injury.
The Ivorians, meanwhile, arrived with a squad featuring several players attached to European clubs, including Sunderland forward Jocelin Ta Bi, Christ Tapé of Toulouse and Eddy Doué of Estrela Amadora.
Kenya must now prepare for the return fixture scheduled for Tuesday, November 17, at Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan, with kick-off set for 10pm East African Time.
The winner of the two-legged contest will advance to the third and final qualifying round, where they will face either Tunisia or Benin for a place at the continental finals.
The 2027 U-23 AFCON tournament will be hosted by Egypt, with seven qualifying teams joining the hosts. The competition will also serve as Africa’s qualification pathway to the men’s football tournament at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
For the Emerging Stars, victory in Nairobi provides an important foundation, but they will need another disciplined performance in Abidjan to move within reach of their maiden appearance at the U-23 AFCON finals.
