“We know it is not going to be easy, but we believe in ourselves and in our teammates. We have to prepare well for the second leg and come up with different plans while maintaining the same commitment we showed in the first match,” said Wangaya.
Emerging Stars skipper Kevin Wangaya has backed Kenya to secure a place in the final qualifying round of the 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers ahead of their return-leg clash against Côte d’Ivoire.
Kenya heads to the return leg with a 2–1 advantage after Wednesday’s first-leg victory at Nyayo National Stadium. Henry Omollo and Andreas Odhiambo scored for the hosts, while Oumar Konaté found the net for Côte d’Ivoire.
Wangaya says the team will prepare thoroughly for the second leg, acknowledging that it will not be easy.
“We know it is not going to be easy, but we believe in ourselves and in our teammates. We have to prepare well for the second leg and come up with different plans while maintaining the same commitment we showed in the first match,” said Wangaya.
Head coach Anthony Kimani has, however, warned his players against becoming complacent following the first-leg victory, insisting that the job is not yet complete.
“We have won the first battle, not the war,”
