U17 AFCON: African Football Gems Face Off in Morocco
The brightest stars of African football will clash in the 15th Africa U-17 Cup of Nations (AFCON), set to take place from March 30 to April 19 in Morocco. The tournament will see teams vying for both the continental title and a spot in the 2025 World Cup.
Sixteen national teams, divided into four groups, will compete for ten spots allocated to Africa for this global tournament’s expanded edition, which will be held in Qatar later this year.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals and the World Cup, while the remaining two qualification spots will be determined through play-off matches between the third-placed teams in each group.
Among the most prominent teams, Morocco, the host nation, will aim to improve on their runner-up finish and secure their first continental title in this category.
To achieve this goal, national coach Nabil Baha is counting on a squad mostly made up of players based abroad, as well as players from Moroccan clubs and the Mohammed VI Football Academy, which symbolizes the Kingdom’s commitment to developing a young generation of talented footballers.
On home soil, the Atlas cubs will have every chance of winning, especially after showing reassuring signs in their recent performances, notably finishing second in the U-17 friendly tournament held from February 18 to 22, and second place in the UNAF (North African Football Union) tournament held from November 11 to 23.
Meanwhile, Senegal, the defending champion, will be determined to achieve a back-to-back victory and match the feat of Mali, who won the 2015 edition in Niger and the 2017 edition in Gabon.
Winners of the WAFU (West African Football Union) tournament in early November, the Senegalese team appears to be in good form ahead of this Moroccan edition, as demonstrated by their victory in the U-17 friendly tournament in Salé.
It’s worth keeping a close eye on is the Burkina Faso team, bronze medalists in the last edition and regular participants in the U-17 AFCON, marking their 11th appearance in Morocco.
Their record includes the 2011 AFCON title, two runner-up finishes (1999, 2001), and two third-place finishes (2009, 2023).
Another team to watch is Mali, fourth in the last edition and back-to-back champions in 2015 and 2017.
The Moroccan team will compete in Group A, alongside Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia, while Group B includes teams from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, South Africa, and Egypt.
As for Group C, it consists of Senegal, Gambia, Somalia, and Tunisia, while Group D is made up of Mali, Angola, Ivory Coast, and the Central African Republic.
Four stadiums located in the cities of Casablanca, Mohammedia, Berrechid, and El Jadida will host the matches of this 15th edition.
La rédaction/Le7tv
