A crucial clash awaits in Group B of the CAF AFCON U-20 as Tunisia and Kenya lock horns for the first time in the competition’s history on Sunday evening in Cairo. With kick-off set for 6:00 PM EAT, both sides enter the fixture knowing only a win can revive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.
Tunisia began their 2025 campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Nigeria, continuing a worrying trend of early setbacks at the finals. This marks their second consecutive tournament in which they have lost their opening match, having also suffered a 1-0 defeat to Gambia in 2023.
More troubling, however, is their current form. They are winless in their last four tournament games, having suffered three consecutive defeats and failing to score in any of them. It has been 271 minutes since Tunisia last found the net, with that goal occurring in a dramatic 3-3 draw against Congo during the quarter-finals of 2023.
Statistically, Tunisia’s scoring drought is evident. In their last seven tournament matches, they have failed to score in five, managing to net only four goals—three of which came in a single game against Congo. Their only wins in the last 13 tournament outings were against Namibia in 2021 and Zambia in 2023.
Tunisia have never lost their second group match in the tournament’s current format. After opening with a draw in 2021, they went on to defeat Namibia. In 2023, following an opening defeat, they drew against Benin. Sunday’s clash thus represents a crucial test of whether they can maintain that tradition or face an uncharacteristic double-defeat start.
Standing in their way is a spirited Kenyan side still buzzing from a performance that, despite ending in defeat, raised eyebrows. In only their second appearance at the continental finals, Kenya pushed North African giants Morocco to the limit in their opener, taking an early lead and scoring twice before eventually losing 3-2.
Lawrence Ouma’s 16th-minute strike marked Kenya’s first-ever goal at the CAF AFCON U-20, and Hassan Beja’s performance up front, with three shots on target, demonstrated that Kenya are not just here to make up the numbers.
Although they enjoyed just 38.4% possession in that match, the Junior Stars registered seven shots on target, showcasing a direct and fearless style of play. Midfielder Baron Ochieng led the team with 50 touches, while goalkeeper Bernard Jairo made six saves from nine shots on target, achieving a 66.7% save success rate.
Kenya have now scored four goals and conceded seven in just three games at the CAF AFCON U-20 finals, all of which have produced winners—a statistic that highlights both their vulnerability and their attacking threat.
This will be Kenya’s second consecutive match against North African opposition, following their narrow loss to Morocco. Tunisia, meanwhile, face East African opponents for the first time since their heavy 4-1 defeat to Uganda in the 2021 semi-finals, their heaviest loss in tournament history. That result will not have faded from memory and adds extra edge to this clash.
For both teams, Sunday’s showdown is more than just a group fixture; it is a battle for survival. With Nigeria and Morocco currently leading the group, defeat would all but eliminate either side from quarter-final contention.
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Tunisia must rediscover their scoring touch and defensive solidity, while Kenya will need to tighten up at the back without sacrificing the attacking flair that made them so dangerous in their opener.
