2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations

Last updated

2025 CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations
كأس أمم إفريقيا تحت 20 سنة 2025
2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations logo.png
Tournament details
Host countryEgypt
Dates27 April – 18 May
Teams13 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)4 (in 3 host cities)
Final positions
ChampionsFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa (1st title)
Runners-upFlag of Morocco.svg  Morocco
Third placeFlag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria
Fourth placeFlag of Egypt.svg  Egypt
Tournament statistics
Matches played30
Goals scored58 (1.93 per match)
Top scorer(s) Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Momoh Kamara (4 goals)
Best player(s) Flag of South Africa.svg Tylon Smith
Best goalkeeper Flag of South Africa.svg Fletcher Smythe-Lowe
Fair play awardFlag of Morocco.svg  Morocco
2023
2027

The 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations , known as the 2025 U20 AFCON for short and as the 2025 TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship purposes, was the 18th edition (25th if editions of the tournament without hosts are included) of the biennial African international youth football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). [1] [2] [3]

Contents

The four semi-finalists also qualified as the CAF representatives for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.

Senegal were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the quarter-finals in a penalty shoot-out against Nigeria.

Qualification

Player eligibility

Players born 1 January 2005 or later were eligible to participate in the competition.

Qualified teams

The following 13 teams qualified for the tournament:

TeamZoneDate of qualificationAppearanceLast appearancePrevious best performance
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco North Zone 23 November 20246th 2021 Champions (1997)
Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt (hosts)26 November 202413th 2023 Champions (1991, 2003, 2013)
Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia 10 April 20253rd 2023 Fourth place (2021, 2023)
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal West A Zone 25 September 20247th 2023 Champions (2023)
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 1stNoneDebut
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana West B Zone 27 October 202413th 2021 Champions (1993, 1999, 2009, 2021)
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 13th 2023 Champions (2005, 2011, 2015)
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo Central Zone 1 October 20242nd 2013 Group stage (2013)
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic 22 March 2025 [Note 1] 3rd 2023 Quarter-finals (2021)
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Central-East Zone 18 October 20241stNoneDebut
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania 2nd 2021 Group stage (2021)
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa South Zone 3 October 20249th 2019 Runners-up (1997)
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 9th 2023 Champions (2017)

Draw

The draw procedure was announced on 10 February 2025. [4] The 13 teams were drawn into one group of five teams and two groups of four teams. [5] Teams are seeded according to their performance in the 2023 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations. Hosts at the time of the draw Ivory Coast were automatically assigned to Position A1 in the draw, later replaced by Egypt. Previous edition winners Senegal were assigned to Position C1 and third place Nigeria were assigned to Position B1. The 3 qualified teams that also participated in the last edition, Congo [Note 1] , Egypt (later replaced by Tunisia), and Zambia, were seeded in Pot 1. The rest of the field were placed in Pot 2 to be drawn into the remaining positions. [6] [7]

Pot 1Pot 2

Venues

The host country for the final stage of the edition was decided at the annual 2024 CAF Executive Committee meeting and CAF Awards in Marrakesh, Morocco on 16 December 2024, with CAF appointing Ivory Coast as hosts. [8]

On 26 March 2025, it was announced that Ivory Coast had withdrawn as hosts, also forfeiting their automatic qualification spot. The new host country was not immediately announced. [9] [10]

On 27 March 2025, it was announced that Egypt would replace Ivory Coast as hosts. Egypt had previously submitted a bid to host during the initial bidding process. The opening match would also be pushed back one day to 27 April. [11]

Cairo Ismailia Suez
Cairo International Stadium 30 June Stadium Suez Canal Stadium Suez Stadium
Capacity: 75,000Capacity: 30,000Capacity: 22,000Capacity: 27,000
Panorma Cairo Stadium.jpg 30 June Stadium Cairo.jpg Suez Canal Stadium.png Suez Stadium.jpg

Squads

Group stage

Tiebreakers

Teams were ranked according to the three points for a win system (3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings:

  1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  4. If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, if two teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are applied exclusively to these two teams;
  5. Goal difference in all group matches;
  6. Goals scored in all group matches;
  7. Drawing of lots.

Group A

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 421163+37 [a] Knockout stage
2Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 421165+17 [a]
3Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt (H)42113417 [a]
4Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 413021+16
5Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania 40040440
Source: CAF
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Notes:
  1. 1 2 3 Head-to-head records:
    • South Africa: 3 pts (1 W, 0 D, 1 L), +2 GD (4 GF, 2 GA)
    • Sierra Leone: 3 pts (1 W, 0 D, 1 L), 0 GD (5 GF, 5 GA)
    • Egypt: 3 pts (1 W, 0 D, 1 L), −2 GD (2 GF, 4 GA)
Zambia  Flag of Zambia.svg0–0Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone
Report
Suez Canal Stadium , Ismailia
Referee: Shamirah Nabadda (Uganda)
Egypt  Flag of Egypt.svg1–0Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
El Hadad Soccerball shade.svg62' Report
Cairo International Stadium , Cairo
Referee: Aklesso Gnama (Togo)

South Africa  Flag of South Africa.svg1–0Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania
April Soccerball shade.svg28' Report
Suez Canal Stadium , Ismailia
Referee: Houssam Benyahia (Algeria)
Sierra Leone  Flag of Sierra Leone.svg4–1Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt
Report
Suez Canal Stadium , Ismailia
Referee: Dickens Nyagrowa (Kenya)

Tanzania  Flag of Tanzania.svg0–1Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone
Report Gandi Soccerball shade.svg37'
Suez Canal Stadium , Ismailia
Referee: Hugues Kokora (Ivory Coast)
Egypt  Flag of Egypt.svg0–0Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia
Report
Suez Canal Stadium , Ismailia
Referee: Abdallah Jammeh (Gambia)

Zambia  Flag of Zambia.svg1–0Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania
Banda Soccerball shade.svg90+11' (pen.) Report
Suez Canal Stadium , Ismailia
Referee: Aklesso Gnama (Togo)
Sierra Leone  Flag of Sierra Leone.svg1–4Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Mom. Kamara Soccerball shade.svg69' Report
Suez Canal Stadium , Ismailia
Referee: Abdou Mefire (Cameroon)

South Africa  Flag of South Africa.svg1–1Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia
Letlhaku Soccerball shade.svg8' Report B. Phiri Soccerball shade.svg12'
30 June Stadium , Cairo
Referee: Hugues Kokora (Ivory Coast)
Tanzania  Flag of Tanzania.svg0–1Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt
Report Ahmed Sharaf Soccerball shade.svg7'
Suez Canal Stadium , Ismailia
Referee: Abdou Mefire (Cameroon)

Group B

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 321063+37 Knockout stage
2Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 312032+15
3Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia 31024513
4Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 30125831
Source: CAF
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Nigeria  Flag of Nigeria.svg1–0Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia
Ibrahim Soccerball shade.svg38' Report
30 June Stadium , Cairo
Referee: Abdou Mefire (Cameroon)
Kenya  Flag of Kenya.svg2–3Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco
Report

Tunisia  Flag of Tunisia.svg3–1Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
Report Ouma Soccerball shade.svg38'
30 June Stadium , Cairo
Referee: Emmanuel Mensah (Liberia)
Morocco  Flag of Morocco.svg0–0Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria
Report

Nigeria  Flag of Nigeria.svg2–2Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
Report
Tunisia  Flag of Tunisia.svg1–3Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco
Report
Suez Canal Stadium , Ismailia
Referee: Abdallah Jammeh (Gambia)

Group C

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana 321031+27 Knockout stage
2Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 311132+14 [a]
3Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo 31114404 [a]
4Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic 30122531
Source: CAF
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. 1 2 Ranked on head-to-head: Senegal 2–0 DR Congo.
Senegal  Flag of Senegal.svg1–1Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic
Thiam Soccerball shade.svg49' Report Pengazonia Soccerball shade.svg74'
DR Congo  Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg1–1Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana
Ntanda-Lukisa Soccerball shade.svg16' Report Aziz Soccerball shade.svg24'
Suez Stadium , Suez
Referee: Luxolo Badi (South Africa)

Central African Republic  Flag of the Central African Republic.svg1–3Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo
Report
Ghana  Flag of Ghana.svg1–0Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal
Report
Suez Stadium , Suez
Referee: Hillary Hambaba (Zambia)

Central African Republic  Flag of the Central African Republic.svg0–1Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana
Report
Senegal  Flag of Senegal.svg2–0Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo
Report
Suez Stadium , Suez
Referee: Dickens Nyagrowa (Kenya)

Ranking of third-placed teams

The ranking of the third-placed teams was determined after removing the results of the team ranked fifth in Group A, which was Tanzania. [4]

PosGrpTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 C Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo 31114404 Knockout stage
2 A Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt 31112424
3 B Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia 31024513
Source: CAF

Knockout stage

In the knockout stage, extra time and penalty shoot-outs are used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 75).

Bracket

 
Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
 
          
 
12 May
 
 
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa (a.e.t.)1
 
15 May
 
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo 0
 
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 1
 
12 May
 
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 0
 
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria (p)0 (3)
 
18 May
 
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 0 (1)
 
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 1
 
12 May
 
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 0
 
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco (a.e.t.)1
 
15 May
 
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 0
 
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 1
 
12 May
 
Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt 0 Third place
 
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana 2 (4)
 
18 May
 
Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt (p)2 (5)
 
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria (p)1 (4)
 
 
Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt 1 (1)
 

Quarter-finals

Winners qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Nigeria  Flag of Nigeria.svg0–0 (a.e.t.)Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal
Report
Penalties
3–1
Suez Canal Stadium , Ismailia
Referee: Houssam Benyahia (Algeria)

Morocco  Flag of Morocco.svg1–0 (a.e.t.)Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone
Report
30 June Stadium , Cairo
Referee: Abdou Mefire (Cameroon)

Ghana  Flag of Ghana.svg2–2 (a.e.t.)Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt
Report
Penalties
4–5

South Africa  Flag of South Africa.svg1–0 (a.e.t.)Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo
Report
Suez Canal Stadium , Ismailia
Referee: Abdallah Jammeh (Gambia)

Semi-finals

South Africa  Flag of South Africa.svg1–0Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria
Report
Suez Canal Stadium , Ismailia
Referee: Houssam Benyahia (Algeria)

Morocco  Flag of Morocco.svg1–0Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt
Report
30 June Stadium , Cairo
Referee: Aklesso Gnama (Togo)

Third place match

Nigeria  Flag of Nigeria.svg1–1Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt
Report
Penalties
  • Soccerball shad check.svg
  • Soccerball shad check.svg
  • Soccerball shad check.svg
  • Soccerball shad check.svg
4–1
  • Soccerball shad check.svg
  • Soccerball shade cross.svg
  • Soccerball shade cross.svg
30 June Stadium , Cairo
Referee: Shamirah Nabadda (Uganda)

Final

South Africa  Flag of South Africa.svg1–0Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco
Report
30 June Stadium , Cairo
Referee: Abdou Mefire (Cameroon)

Tournament rankings

Pos.TeamPldWDLPtsGFGAGD
1Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 75111693+6
2Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 64111384+4
3Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 61417440
4Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt 7232968−2
Eliminated in the quarter-finals
5Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana 4220853+2
6Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 4121532+1
7Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 52127660
8Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo 4112445−1
Eliminated in the group stage
9Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia 3102345−1
10Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 3102321+1
11Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 3012158−3
12Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic 3012125−3
13Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania 4004004−4

Qualified teams for FIFA U-20 World Cup

The following teams from CAF qualified for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.

TeamQualified onPrevious appearances in FIFA U-20 World Cup 1
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 12 May 202513 (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1999 , 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2023)
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 3 (1977, 1997, 2005)
Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt 8 (1981, 1991, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009 , 2011, 2013)
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 4 (1997, 2009, 2017, 2019)
1Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Congo were suspended on 6 February 2025 due to government interference in FECOFOOT operations, and Congo were not included in the draw. After the draw, Central African Republic were named as replacements on 22 March 2025.

See also

References

  1. "Mozambique To Host 2024 COSAFA U-20 Championship". Pindula. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  2. Oyebola, Mike (22 June 2024). "CAF opens bid for three competitions". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  3. "History of the TotalEnergies U20 Africa Cup Of Nations 2025 | COSAFA Qualifier". 4 September 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  4. 1 2 "CAF releases draw procedure for TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Cote D'Ivoire 2025". www.ghanafa.org. Ghana Football Association. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  5. "AFCON U20 2025: Nigeria's Flying Eagles draw Egypt, South Africa, Morocco in Group of Death - Soccernet NG". 13 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  6. "U20 Afcon draw: Record seven-time winners Flying Eagles discover group stage opponents | All Nigeria Soccer". www.allnigeriasoccer.com. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  7. TotalEnergies CAF U-20 AFCON Final Draw - Egypt 2025 - English . Retrieved 13 April 2025 via www.youtube.com.
  8. "CAF Executive Committee approves 2025 Competition Calendar and TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Final Draw Date". 16 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  9. "CAF in crisis mode as Nigeria await new U20 AFCON host after Ivory Coast's shock withdrawal - Soccernet NG". 26 March 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  10. "Just In: Ivory Coast withdraws as host of U20 Africa Cup of Nations". 26 March 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  11. "CAF awards the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025 hosting rights to Egypt" . Retrieved 27 March 2025.