Kenya Under-20 head coach Gilbert Selebwa has called for early planning and better player documentation as the country seeks to avoid last-minute squad selection challenges ahead of major youth competitions.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe Rising Stars boss faced a race against time while assembling a squad for the CECAFA U-20 AFCON qualifiers in Tanzania after most of the players who represented Kenya at the previous U-20 AFCON finals in Egypt became ineligible due to age.##NAJAVA_MECA_9953610##More than 70 players were assessed during the selection process, but a number of prospects could not make the final squad either because they were overage or lacked valid passports that could be processed before the 15-25 September tournament in Dar es Salaam.The situation forced the MOFA tactician to turn to the Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSSA) National Finals, where several schoolboys caught the technical team's attention and eventually earned places in the 25-man squad.Ongata Academy’s Theodore Mwangi, Kakamega School trio Eugene Bellety, Julius Ochieng 'Agwambo,' and Brighton Nacheri, as well as St. Mary’s Yala duo Brighton Omondi and Stephen Ouma and St. Anthony’s Kitale’s Trevor Nasasiro, are the seven schoolboys included in the travelling party.The final squad also consists of 11 players from the FKF Premier League and four foreign-based players.“The selection process has been extremely tedious for the simple reason that players from the last edition have not been available. For various reasons, some of them have gone over the age, something which has forced us to go back to secondary school to pick talents,” the former Congo United gaffer explained.5 foreign-based players included in Kenya's U20 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers squadBeyond the age issue, documentation emerged as another major hurdle during the selection process.“Another obstacle is identification. Most of our players don’t have proper documentation like passports, and because of the timeframe, it was not possible for us to get the documentation right on time.We had over 70 kids in camp, and because of the reasons stated, they have not been able to make it into the list,” he added.The coach believes the difficulties experienced during the current preparations should prompt the federation and the government to address the structural gaps affecting youth national teams.“This is a call to the federation and the government to ensure we correct the gaps,” he said.“Like Benzema, up there with Haaland”Despite the challenges encountered in putting the squad together, the Rising Stars technical bench remains focused on securing qualification for the 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.Kenya will leave for Tanzania on Sunday before opening their campaign against Burundi on 17 September at 8 pm at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam.The team will then face South Sudan on 19 September at 2 pm.##NAJAVA_MECA_9953035##Group A consists of hosts Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Rwanda, while Group B features Uganda, Sudan, and Djibouti.Kenya must finish among the top two teams in the qualifying tournament to secure a place at next year’s U-20 AFCON finals in Ghana.