Five-time World Champions, Nigeria Missing As U17 AFCON Begins

Five-time World Champions, Nigeria Missing As U17 AFCON Begins

By Admin

Five-time world champions, Golden Eaglets of Nigeria are absent as the Africa U-17 Nations Cup kicks off this Sunday in Morocco. The team failed to cut the regional WAFU -B elimination series and thus will also be absent when the FIFA U17 World Cup kicks off.

The CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025 kicks off this Sunday with a meeting between the host nation, Morocco and Uganda as 16 teams vie for the continental crown and a place at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup later this year.

The journey to a long national team career begins here for many of the continent’s top young talents, who will get a first taste of an international competition at the expanded tournament.

Morocco last staged the Under-17 continental finals in 2013 when Nigeria striker Kelechi Iheanacho was one of the stand-out performers, and there will be many players in the Class of 2025 who will hope to have similarly successful club and international careers.

There will be a record 10 places for Africa at the 48-team FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, an opportunity for the continent to showcase its outstanding emerging talent on the global stage.   

This will include the eight quarter-finalists and two more teams decided via play-off matches between the sides that finish third in their pools in the group stages.

The tournament will sport a new trophy, with the concept behind the silverware being the ‘Journey Begins’. It features a road-like structure symbolizing the player’s path, integrated with the map of Africa to reflect continental pride and unity. 

Four venues will play host to matches – El Bachir Stadium in Mohammedia, Larbi Zaouli Stadium and Berrechid Stadium, which are both in Casablanca, as well as the El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida.

Proceedings get underway at the El Bachir Stadium on Sunday when Morocco play East African champions Uganda in a 22h00 kick-off (local time / GMT).

The following day Tanzania take on Southern African champions Zambia to close off the opening round of Group A fixtures in a 14h00 kick-off.

Later in the afternoon, Casablanca’s Larbi Zaouli Stadium hosts a Group B clash between the last edition’s bronze medallists, Burkina Faso and two-time champions Cameroon at 17h00.

The last fixture of the day, which takes place at the same venue, sees 2015 runners-up South Africa facing off against champions of the 1997 edition Egypt in an exciting north versus south duel at 20h00.

Group C and D fixtures will take place on Tuesday, 1 April with the reigning champions Senegal headlining the matches.

They take on The Gambia at the El Abdi Stadium at 14h00, while Somalia, who are making their second appearance at the finals, face off against Tunisia at 17h00.

In Group D, Mali, who finished fourth in the last edition, take on tournament debutants Angola at 17h00, while former champions Cote d’Ivoire eye an opening victory against Central African Republic at 20h00.

CAF U-17 CAF AFCON, Morocco 2025 Groups: 

GROUP A: Morocco (Hosts), Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia

GROUP B: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, South Africa, Egypt

GROUP C: Senegal, Gambia, Somalia, Tunisia

GROUP D: Mali, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Central African Republic