Kenya’s under-18 boys and girls kept their dreams of qualifying for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup alive after both teams booked places in the medal matches at the ongoing Youth Africa Cup (YAC) 2026 in Nairobi.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe hosts enjoyed another impressive day at the continental championship, with the boys completing a flawless preliminary campaign to qualify for the final unbeaten, while the girls secured a place in finals after finishing second in the standings ahead of Saturday’s knockout matches.##NAJAVA_MECA_9883156##The Kenyan boys have been the standout team of the tournament so far, winning all three of their matches to finish top of the four-team standings with a perfect nine points. They scored an impressive 35 goals while conceding just 14, giving them the best goal difference of +21 in the competition.South Africa and Nigeria both finished on four points after identical records of one win, one draw and one defeat, with South Africa claiming second place on goal difference to set up a rematch with Kenya in Saturday’s final. Nigeria will face Uganda in the third-place playoff. standings.Kenyan Madina Okot secures move to Australia after dream WNBA draftThe girls’ competition has also produced a strong showing from the hosts despite a setback against unbeaten Nigeria. Kenya finished the preliminary round in third place with six points, recording two wins and one defeat while scoring 20 goals and conceding just seven.Nigeria topped the standings with a perfect nine points after winning all three of their matches, while South Africa finished second on six points courtesy of a superior goal difference over Kenya. Ghana claimed fourth place with three points, while Uganda ended the round-robin stage without a point.©Alvin WesongaKenya’s girls produced commanding victories over Ghana and Uganda but fell 5-3 to Nigeria in a closely contested encounter, leaving them third in the standings and setting up a semifinal clash with second-placed South Africa.Saturday’s finals day promises a thrilling conclusion to the inaugural championship. The boys will meet South Africa in the title decider after the third-place playoff between Nigeria and Uganda.KSSSA: From borrowing bus fare to watch volleyball, Mwitoti star dreams of building an academy back homeIn the women’s competition, Nigeria will face Ghana in the playoff match, while Kenya take on South Africa in the final.Beyond continental honours, Saturday’s matches carry added significance as the finalists in both the men’s and women’s competitions will secure Africa’s qualification spots for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup, making the stakes even higher for the hosts as they look to crown an impressive campaign with a place on the global stage.
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