Kenya under 17 have sailed through to the first round of the 2003 Africa under-17 Youth Soccer Championship qualifiers after thrashing their Eritrean counterparts 3-1 on aggregate following a brilliant display at the Moi International Sports Centre (MISC), Kasarani. They will now face former world champions, Ghana, in the first round, first leg match in Nairobi in December.

Kenya and Eritrea settled for a scoreless draw in the first leg of the preliminaries in Asmara two weeks ago. But the Kenyans were in a class of their own on Sunday taking an early lead in the ninth minute through Abdulahi Aden and Hilar Omondi fired in the second in 24 minutes. Joshua Ochuka headed home the third on the stroke of half time with Eritreas? Enrias Debsay fetching a consolation after the break.

It will be the first time that Kenya will be meeting Ghana at the junior level and the might of the Ghanaians would certainly be brought to bear on their opponents.