The Egyptian under-17 national team has learned its potential route to the final of the African Youth Championship after securing qualification for the knockout stage of the tournament in Morocco.
The Confederation of African Football, Confederation of African Football, confirmed the pathway for the remaining teams following the conclusion of the group phase, with Egypt advancing to the quarter-finals after finishing second in Group A.
Egypt’s progression also guaranteed the Young Pharaohs a place at the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup finals, which are due to take place in Qatar later this year.
The Egyptian side collected four points from their three group-stage matches, recording one victory, one draw and one defeat during the opening phase of the competition.
Egypt began their campaign with a draw against Ethiopia before producing a crucial 2-1 victory over Tunisia in their second match. However, they were beaten 2-1 by hosts Morocco in the final group fixture.
Despite the defeat, the results were enough to send Egypt into the last eight of the tournament as runners-up in the group.
The quarter-final stage will now see Egypt face Ivory Coast on Sunday, 24 May, with kick-off scheduled for 22:00 local time in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Victory in that match would move Egypt into the semi-finals, where they would meet either Algeria or Tanzania on 28 May at 19:00 Egypt and Saudi Arabia time.
Egypt’s possible route to the final could also set up encounters with some of the continent’s strongest youth sides. Should the Young Pharaohs reach the championship match, they would face the winner emerging from the other side of the bracket, which includes fixtures between Morocco and Cameroon, as well as Senegal against Mali.
The qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup represents a significant achievement for Egypt’s youth programme, with the team now aiming to continue its run in the continental tournament and challenge for the title.
The competition in Morocco has already produced several tightly contested matches, and Egypt’s progress through the group stage highlighted both the resilience and attacking threat of the squad. Their victory over Tunisia proved decisive in securing advancement, while the narrow defeat to Morocco demonstrated the competitive nature of Group A.
Attention will now turn to the knockout rounds, where Egypt will attempt to move a step closer to continental success and build momentum ahead of the World Cup later this year.
