Nigeria Excluded from 2026 U-17 AFCON Draw by CAF

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed the draw for the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Wednesday. The tournament is scheduled to take place in Morocco from May 13 to June 2, 2026.

Nigeria will not feature in this tournament, marking their absence for the second consecutive time. The teams have been divided into four groups: Group A includes Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Ethiopia; Group B features former champions Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, and Uganda, along with DR Congo; Group C consists of Mali, Angola, and Mozambique; and Group D includes Senegal, South Africa, Algeria, and Ghana.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.