Ocean Stars to face Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Rwanda

By Bakar Osman - Reporter

Uganda, 1 November 2025 - Somalia will face Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Rwanda in the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) CECAFA qualifiers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 15 November to 2 December.

The draw, held on Friday at the FUFA FM studio in Mengo, Uganda, was overseen by Andrew Jackson Oryada, CECAFA’s Head of Marketing and Communications.

“This is a golden opportunity created by CECAFA for youth to compete at a regional level. The top teams will advance to the African level and eventually to the FIFA U-17 World Cup,” Oryada said.

Group A features hosts Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Rwanda, with matches to be held at Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa.

Group B, which includes Uganda (defending champions), Tanzania, Djibouti, Sudan, and Burundi will play at Dire Dawa Stadium.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, while the losing semi-finalists will compete for third place.

The top three teams—champion, runner-up, and third place—will represent CECAFA at the 2026 U-17 AFCON.

The Somalia team, also known as Ocean Stars, previously won the CECAFA U-17 Championship in 2022, defeating South Sudan 3-1 in the final in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The draw, held on Friday at the FUFA FM studio in Mengo, Uganda, was overseen by Andrew Jackson Oryada, CECAFA’s Head of Marketing and Communications.

“This is a golden opportunity created by CECAFA for youth to compete at a regional level. The top teams will advance to the African level and eventually to the FIFA U-17 World Cup,” Oryada said.

Group A features hosts Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Rwanda, with matches to be held at Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa.

Group B, which includes Uganda (defending champions), Tanzania, Djibouti, Sudan, and Burundi will play at Dire Dawa Stadium.

Ocean Stars to face Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Rwanda

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