Nairobi — The national under 20 football team coach Salim Babu is keen to put out a strong squad for their debut at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Ivory Coast in May this year.

Babu says he wants to come up with a final team that can go toe-to-toe with the crème-de-la-crème of the continent.

"We want to put out a strong team, not just any other squad. What I want to tell fans is to expect good things because we are working towards a talented squad of players. We will have a squad from all corners of the country...players selected by merit so that at the end of it all, we can compete with any team from the continent," the gaffer said.

Kenya will be debuting at the competition, set to kick off on May 28 in the Ivorian capital.

They face defending champions Senegal, Zambia as well as fellow debutants Sierra Leone in Group C.

Babu is confident Kenya can qualify for the Under 20 World Cup in Chile by finishing as one of the top four teams in the continental competition.

"The main goal is to qualify for the World Cup...this is something I believe we can do. We have begun preparations today (Monday) and have called up a provisional squad of 40 players. We will train with them for the next three days and then trim the team while inviting other talents from around the country. Unlike when we went to Tanzania (for the Cecafa qualifiers), this time we have more time for the preparations," the Nairobi City Stars head coach said.

The team undertook their first training session on Monday at the Kasarani Annex under the keen eye of Babu.

The Rising Stars secured their ticket for the continental showpiece by finishing second to Tanzania at the Cecafa qualifiers in November last year.