National under 17 team head coach William 'Kanu' Muluya has conceded that they were vastly inferior to Ethiopia in Tuesday's third place playoff for the Cecafa Regional qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), in Addis Ababa.
Muluya says there was a huge gulf in quality between the two teams, with the Ethiopians running out 3-0 winners.
"In terms of quality, I think they possessed better quality than us. I think the boys really tried. We pushed them to the level they could and that was their capacity. They could not go beyond that," the Kariobangi Sharks head coach said.
He added: "We could not have drawn anything again from them. That is the quality we had. The truth be said...that is our level and we have to accept."
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The Junior Stars were no match for the hosts, who tore them at will with their intricate midfield play, interchange of play in the frontline and a solid defensive display.
Tournament top scorer Dawit Kassaw drew first blood in the 67th minute before Binyam Abrha made it 2-0, 12 minutes later.
Biruk Eliyachew then drove the final nail into the coffin of Kenya's Afcon' hopes with the third in third minute of added time.
Muluya admitted the loss was a bitter pill for him to swallow -- as well as for the technical bench.
"It's a disappointment but sometimes we have to accept the reality of the situation. This is a team reaching fourth place despite being assembled for less than a week. The tournament was also being played at a time when the national exams are ongoing back home. We are sorry for them (Kenyans). We know their emotions are not served well but we promise to work well next time," the gaffer said.
He further pinpointed the three top finishers in the competition -- Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia -- as templates for Kenya to follow when building age-grade sides.
"If you look at Tanzania and Uganda, they are teams that have been together for not less than one year. Ethiopia have been in camp for not less than three months. So if you look at all those teams that are making it to AFCON, early preparation sets in," Muluya said.
He added: "If we get it right, where we can have players selected as soon as now, then again bring them together, whereby they are either playing competitively, like Tanzania is doing with their young men. They are playing in a competitive
under-20 league with some two good centres of excellence in Tanzania. I think we'll be on the right track."
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The Junior Stars will be hoping for a much improved return when they compete in next year's regional qualifiers.
