Hope Rises For Nigeria As CAF Increases U17 AFCON Slots To 16

Hope Rises For Nigeria As CAF Increases U17 AFCON Slots To 16

By Niyi Busari

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has increased the number of participating teams in the 2025 CAF U17 African Nations Cup finals from 12 to 16, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The Executive Committee of the African football governing body on Monday approved the increment of the new format of the underage men's youth championship slated for Morocco.

Many football pundits have raised eye brows that despite FIFA increasing the number of African participating Nations from five to ten in the FIFA U17 world cup, CAF initially refused to allow that lead to increment in the number of participants at the U17 AFCON finals. However, with the number lifted to 16, Nigeria, five times world champions can begin to dream of participating in the 2025 CAF U17 African Nations Cup.

The competition will commence on 30 March to 19 April, 2025. All eight quarter-finalists will qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar as the CAF representatives.

Only ten countries have qualified for the biennial competition, the ten countries are: Egypt, Morocco, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Uganda, Angola and Zambia.

Nigeria finished Third in the 2024 WAFU B championship with the first and second picking the two automatic tickets. However, six countries will join the above ten to complete the needed number.