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MCI
Rising Stars assistant captain has admitted his teammates were initially caught off guard following the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to change the pools for the upcoming set to be held in Egypt in May.
Kenya is now in Group B which as seven-time champions , and, after the Confederation of African Football annulled the initial draw following withdrawal of hosts Ivory Coast.
Initially, Kenya was set to play Sierra Leone, Zambia and holders Senegal, but Tunisia’s entry in the place of Ivory Coast forced a fresh draw.
South Africa’s Akani Simbine clocked a world leading time to edge out Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix.
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According to pundits, the second draw is tough for Kenya, but Ochieng, speaking to journalists at the M-Pesa Foundation Academy in Thika on Monday, said they have already moved on.
“We have been training well and the intensity has been improving. The confidence levels have also risen and we are not afraid of the new opponents because even had we qualified for the quarter finals, we would likely have met teams like these anyway,” Ochieng said.
“We are prepared for the task and we are good to go.”
Kenya U20 squad set for AFCON in Egypt after Morocco camp aiming for World Cup spot with strong local lineup.
Egypt is notoriously a very arid country with unfavourable hot weather conditions, but Ochieng believes the side’s upcoming training camp in Morocco will help them quickly acclimate to the weather conditions in Cairo, comparing it to that at the Coast of Kenya, including Mombasa county
Camp in Morocco Key to Beating the Heat
With Egypt’s arid climate often posing a physical test for visiting teams, Ochieng believes the upcoming training camp in Morocco will be vital for acclimatization—especially since the weather mirrors that of the tournament host nation.
“We cannot use the weather as an excuse. Sometimes, we go to places like Mombasa where the weather is hot, and we still win games there,” he said confidently.
“Going to Morocco for that pre-tournament camp where the weather is the same as that in Egypt, so it will not take us time to adapt. After two or three days, we will have acclimatised.”
Jonah Ayunga made two important goal contributions to ensure St. Mirren sailed to a 3-2 win to secure a top six finish in Scotland.
No fear of Arab opponents
Kenyan teams have historically struggled against North African opposition, but Ochieng is not letting that history haunt him. He placed his trust in the Rising Stars technical bench, led by head coach Salim Babu, to navigate the tactical battles that await.
“There is no black football or Arab football. We are approaching the game as per the tactics,” Ochieng asserted.
“The tactics we were to deploy against Senegal, we will deploy differently against Morocco—and that is up to the coach. We are just executors.”
With the Rising Stars showing strong signs of unity and resilience, Ochieng’s composed yet confident tone reflects a team ready to embrace the challenge of the so-called “group of death.” The countdown to May is on—and Kenya’s youth are refusing to be intimidated.
