MATCH FACTS: Tunisia and Kenya seek first wins at the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 AFCON

Tunisia and Kenya will face each other for the first time when they meet in a Group B fixture at the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cairo on Sunday (kick-off: 18:00 local time / 15:00 GMT).

Both teams are desperate for a win after losing their opening matches – Tunisia fell 1-0 to Nigeria, while Kenya were narrowly beaten 3-2 by Morocco.

Tunisia's most recent encounter with East African opposition ended in a 4-1 defeat to Uganda in the 2021 semi-finals, marking their heaviest loss in the history of the competition.

Kenya, meanwhile, will be facing North African opposition for the second consecutive match, following their 3-2 loss to Morocco in their tournament opener.

TUNISIA FACTS
·       Tunisia began their campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Nigeria. Notably, they have now lost their opening match in the last two editions of the tournament, having also been beaten by Gambia at the start of the 2023 finals.

·       The Tunisians are winless in their last four matches at the finals, with three consecutive defeats following a draw. They have also failed to score in their last three games and have gone 271 minutes without a goal. Their last goal came in the quarter-finals of the 2023 tournament, during a 3-3 draw with Congo, which they eventually won on penalties.

·       In their last seven matches at the finals, Tunisia have failed to score in five, netting just four goals – three of which came in that dramatic draw against Congo.

·       Across the 2021, 2023, and current editions of the tournament, Tunisia have recorded only two wins in 13 matches in open play – against Namibia in their second group game in 2021 and against Zambia in their final group game in 2023 (D5 L6).

·       Historically, Tunisia have never lost their second group game. In 2021, they followed a draw against Burkina Faso with a 2-0 win over Namibia. In 2023, after losing to Gambia, they drew 0-0 with Benin.

·       In the tournament’s current format, Tunisia have never started with two successive losses. The only time they failed to win either of their opening group games was in 2023.

KENYA FACTS
·       Kenya opened their campaign with a 3-2 defeat to Morocco, despite taking the lead in the 16th minute through Lawrence Ouma.

·       Dating back to their debut match in 1979 against Ethiopia, all three of Kenya’s games at the finals have ended with a winner.

·       Kenya’s three tournament matches have produced a total of 11 goals – they have scored four and conceded seven.

·       In their match against Morocco, Kenya had just 38.4% possession but managed to register seven shots on target. Hassan Beja led the way with three shots on target.

·       Baron Ochieng had the most touches for Kenya in that match with 50.

·       Kenya’s goalkeeper, Bernard Jairo, faced nine shots on target and made six saves, recording a 66.7% save success rate.