The draw for the 2026 CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations will take place on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Confederation of African Football in Cairo, setting the stage for one of the continent’s most important youth tournaments.
Scheduled for 14:00 local time (12:00 GMT), the event will be broadcast live on CAF’s official platforms and is expected to attract significant attention across Africa, as teams learn their group-stage opponents ahead of the competition in Morocco.
Watch here
The draw will feature appearances from several established African footballers, including Fiston Mayele, Aliou Dieng and Ahmed Belhadji, who are expected to assist in the ceremony.
A total of 16 teams will compete in the tournament, representing different regional zones across the continent. Hosts Morocco automatically qualify and will be joined by teams from across Africa, including Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda from the CECAFA region.
Southern Africa will be represented by Angola, Mozambique and South Africa, while West Africa’s Zone A has Senegal and Mali. From West Africa Zone B, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana have secured their places.
Central Africa’s representatives include Cameroon and DR Congo, while North Africa will be represented by Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia.
The tournament is widely regarded as a key platform for identifying the next generation of African football stars.
It provides young players with an opportunity to showcase their talent on a continental stage, often serving as a stepping stone to professional careers and senior national team call-ups.
Beyond continental glory, the stakes are particularly high this year due to qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026. Africa will have 10 slots at the global tournament, making this edition of the U-17 AFCON especially competitive.
Under the qualification format, all eight teams that reach the quarter-finals will automatically secure places at the World Cup.
The remaining two spots will be determined through play-off matches involving the four teams that finish third in their respective groups.
This expanded qualification pathway offers more nations a realistic chance of reaching the global stage, further increasing the importance of every group-stage match.
For many countries, success at this level is not only about lifting a trophy but also about building the future of their national teams.
Several of Africa’s top stars have emerged through the U-17 competition, making it a crucial part of the continent’s football development pathway.
As anticipation builds ahead of the draw, attention will turn to how the teams are grouped, with fans and officials keen to assess potential “groups of death” and favourable routes to the knockout stages.
With the tournament set to be hosted in Morocco, expectations are high for a competitive and entertaining showcase of Africa’s brightest young talents.
