NAIROBI, Kenya, November 19, 2025 – National under 17 football team coach William ‘Kanu’ Muluya believes all is not lost despite a disappointing draw with Somalia in their opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers in Addis Ababa.
Muluya has vowed that the Junior Starlets will fight to the last second to earn the right to compete at next year’s continental competition.
“We’ll give a fight. We’ll push and give it our best. We are going to let them (players) express themselves but again we have to try and get a win so that it accompanies the enjoyment,” the Kariobangi Sharks head coach said.
The teenagers took the lead midway through the first half through Yusuf Mohammed before the opponents equalised in the second half.
Muluya was not flattered with the way his charges conceded the equaliser, noting that they were not fully switched on at that moment of the game.
“We spread the field a bit for Somalia to equalise in the second half from a long ball played to our defenders. Despite the one that went through and we conceded a goal, I think they have really done their best basically to try and contain the Somalians,” he said.
Junior Starlets still have more trying fixtures against the hosts, Rwanda as well as Ethiopia to come.
Muluya is conscious of the challenge that lies ahead but has promised to burn the midnight oil to come up with an impenetrable strategy for success.
“We still have Rwanda, South Sudan and Ethiopia to come so we have actually to go back and try to see what we can basically amend from the game (against Somalia). It’s upon me to guide them and to improve them because they haven’t really had enough experience to say that they are the best of the best but we can make them the best of the best,” the gaffer said.
Kenya will have their work cut out to qualify for the continental competition following last year’s disastrous campaign in Tanzania where they exited at the group stage.
