CAF Announces 2026 U-17 AFCON Group Stage Draw

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unveiled the group stage draw for the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will occur in Morocco from May 13 to June 2, 2026. The draw took place at the CAF headquarters in Cairo on a Wednesday and was later published on the organization's website.

The tournament will feature intense North African clashes, including teams from Tunisia, Egypt, and Ethiopia. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.

Former champions Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon will lead Group B, facing Uganda, which is making its tournament debut. Group C includes DR Congo and Mali, the latter being the champion in 2015 and the runner-up last year.

Group D will see the defending champion Senegal battle against South Africa, Algeria, and Ghana. A total of eight teams will reach the quarter-finals, with four third-place teams entering playoff matches to secure the final two African slots for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.

Notably, Nigeria's Golden Eaglets will miss the tournament for the second consecutive edition after losing 2-0 to Ghana in the semi-finals of the WAFU Zone B qualifiers in September 2025.