CAIRO — The Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducted the final draw for the CAF U-17 AFCON, Egypt 2025, at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo.
The tournament, scheduled to run from April 27 to May 18, 2025, will feature 13 nations battling for continental supremacy and four qualification spots to the FIFA U-20 World Cup, Chile 2025.
The draw revealed exciting group-stage fixtures, promising a thrilling start to the competition. Hosts Egypt, three-time champions, headline Group A, where they will face Zambia, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Tanzania in what promises to be a closely fought group.
In Group B, record seven-time champions Nigeria are drawn alongside former winners Tunisia, as well as Kenya and Morocco, setting the stage for some of the tournament’s most anticipated matches.
Defending champions Senegal begin their title defence in Group C, which also includes the Central African Republic, DR Congo, and Ghana — the latter aiming to reclaim the title they won in 2009, the same year they became the only African team to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
The CAF U-20 AFCON, Egypt 2025 will follow a three-group format. Group A contains five teams, while Groups B and C feature four teams each.
The top two teams from each pool, along with the two best third-placed teams, will progress to the quarter-finals, with the tournament concluding on 18 May 2025.
Beyond the continental crown, the stakes are high as the four semi-finalists will earn tickets to represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, Chile 2025, continuing the continent’s proud legacy at the global level.
The draw sets the tone for what promises to be another memorable edition of one of Africa’s premier youth competitions.
CAF U-20 AFCON Egypt 2025 Groups
- Group A: Egypt, Zambia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania
- Group B: Nigeria, Tunisia, Kenya, Morocco
- Group C: Senegal, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Ghana
Elsewhere, Africa’s ten representatives for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 have been confirmed, following the conclusion of the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) play-offs.
Egypt and Uganda claimed the final two African slots for the global tournament after crucial wins in the play-off round, joining Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia as the continent’s flagbearers at the world stage.
The expanded tournament – the largest in the history of the U-17 World Cup – will feature 48 teams for the first time and will be held from 3 to 27 November 2025 in Qatar.
Uganda made history by qualifying for their maiden U-17 World Cup after a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over The Gambia.
After conceding in under a minute, goals from James Bogere in the 13th and 33rd minutes turned the tide for the East Africans, who held firm to book a debut appearance on the world stage.
Hosts Egypt delighted home fans with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Angola.
A deflected strike from Abdel Aziz El Zoghby and a second-half effort by Hamza Mohamed Abdel Karim sealed the ticket for the Pharaohs, despite Angola pulling one back late in the game.
The other eight African nations had already qualified by progressing to the knockout stages of the U-17 AFCON.
Among them are Senegal, defending African champions at youth level, and Côte d’Ivoire, who impressed with a resounding 4-2 win over Mali during the group stage.
Tunisia and South Africa also secured their places early after finishing strongly in their respective groups, while traditional powerhouses Morocco and Zambia return to the global stage with high expectations.
The U-17 World Cup has been a proving ground for future superstars including Michael Essien and Sammy Kuffuor, Nwankwo Kanu, Seydou Keita and Mahamadou Diarra.
Now, Africa’s new generation of talent will look to shine on the world stage and possibly follow in their illustrious footsteps.
With the continent’s ten teams now confirmed, the focus turns to preparations and the final draw, as Africa gears up to challenge for global glory in Doha later this year.
