Kenya’s Junior Stars are faced with a must win tie against Uganda, in their bid for a historic qualification to next year’s Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), after losing their opening match against Tanzania on Wednesday afternoon.

Kenya lost the tie 1-0 with the Tanzanians qualifying for the semi-finals following their opening day draw against Uganda. Only the top two in the seven-team tournament get a chance to make the semis. Only the finalists will qualify for the Under-17 AFCON to be staged next year in Morocco.

Assistant Coach Anthony Akhulia says the team will pick lessons from the Tanzania loss and focus on getting a win against Uganda.

“The boys can play. We picked up momentum in the second half, and we want to build on that as we head into the second match against Uganda. It’s a must-win match if we want to progress, and the team is clear on that,” Akhulia said after the game.

The Junior Stars will face Uganda in their final Group A showdown on Saturday, at Nakivubo Hamz Stadium.

Akhulia and head coach Salim Babu are looking to replicate the success they had with the Under-20 team, qualifying for the AFCON last month for the first time.