Kenya will renew their rivalry with Uganda on Friday afternoon when the two side clash in the 2023 Council of East and Central Africa Football Association (CECAFA) Under-18 championships finals at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium from 2:30pm East African Time.
Commonly referred to as Junior Stars, Kenya defeated Tanzania 4-3 in post-match penalties in the semifinals on Tuesday to reach the finals, a feat goalkeeper Ibrahim Wanzala said has lifted the morale in the team.
Speaking ahead of the finals, Wanzala who saved two penalties in Junior Stars win said they are ready for the challenge.
“We have prepared well for the finals. It was amazing on Tuesday when thousands of fans rallied behind us for over two hours and we won’t disappoint them in the finals.
“It won’t be easy against Uganda but we have quality in the team, talented players all round who can win games easily and with the right tactics we will pull through,” said Wanzala who plays for Kakamega Homeboyz in the Kenyan Premier League.
Kenya are unbeaten so far in the CECAFA championship. They have defeated Sudan 5-0, Somalia 4-1 and Rwanda 1-0.
On the other hand, Uganda defeated Rwanda 1-0 to reach the finals.
In the preliminary stages, the Junior Cranes lost only one match, 1-0 to Rwanda. They defeated South Sudan 2-1 before drawing 1-1 with Zanzibar.
Meanwhile, Rwanda will face off against Tanzania in the third place playoffs from 11am.
