Kenya U-20 Captain Ochieng Not Worried About Flying Eagles Ahead of U-20 AFCON Clash
Kenya U-20 captain Baron Ochieng has said he is not afraid of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles ahead of their meeting at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Kenya are in Group B of the tournament, along with Nigeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. Many fans are calling it the “group of death” because of the strong teams, but Ochieng says his team is calm and ready.
“We have prepared well, and even with the tough group, we don’t fear any team,” Ochieng said. “Even if we had stayed in our old group, we could still have faced Morocco later in the tournament. So there’s no need to panic.”
Kenya’s assistant coach Anthony Akhulia believes their training camp in North Africa has given them an edge.
“It’s good we are in the same group as Morocco,” Akhulia told The Star. “Training in their country helps us because the weather is similar.
“What matters most is getting our tactics right and not losing our first match. That will improve our chances.”
The U-20 AFCON will take place from 27 April to 18 May in Egypt. Nigeria, who have won the competition seven times, are aiming to qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. The top four teams from the tournament will get tickets to the World Cup.
Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu has announced a 24-man squad for the tournament, including players from top European clubs like Hoffenheim and Lillestrøm SK.
Key players in the Nigerian squad include goalkeeper Ifeanyi Harcourt, captain Daniel Bameyi, midfielder Sulaiman Alabi Jojo, and forward Kparobo Arierhi.
With a strong team at his disposal, Coach Zubairu—formerly of Gombe United—will be aiming to lead Nigeria to another successful U-20 AFCON and secure a World Cup spot.
