Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia and Kenya will represent Africa at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Rabat from 17 October to 7 November 2026.
The four African qualifiers join hosts Morocco in a 24-team tournament, with all five sides drawn in separate groups. They cannot meet in the opening phase, but each will begin its campaign with the same initial target: reaching the round of 16.
Two African teams are due to start on 17 October, followed by two more on 18 October and Kenya on 19 October. The opening fixtures provide an early indication of the challenge facing each side, although none will determine the final group standings on its own.
Five groups, five different starts
Morocco are in Group A and will open against New Zealand before playing Germany and Argentina. Nigeria begin in Group B against Poland, with DPR Korea and Puerto Rico completing the section.
The first matches for Morocco and Nigeria are scheduled for 17 October at 19:00 in Brazzaville. As Morocco returned to GMT on 20 September 2026, that start time is 18:00 in Morocco, Dakar and Abidjan. A 16:00 kick-off in Brazzaville is equivalent to 15:00 in those locations.
Ghana will start their Group C campaign against Norway on 18 October. Their other opponents are Canada and Brazil. Zambia also begin on 18 October, facing Japan in Group D, which additionally contains France and Venezuela.
Kenya are the last of the five African teams to enter the competition. They will play China on 19 October in Group E, alongside the United States and Samoa.
The schedule and local-time conversions were checked on 4 October, but remain subject to change by the organiser.
Third place could be enough
Each team will play three group matches. A win is worth three points, a draw one and a defeat none.
The top two teams in each of the six groups will qualify automatically for the round of 16. They will be joined by the four best third-placed teams, meaning finishing third offers a route through but does not guarantee qualification.
The ranking of the third-placed sides will be decided, in order, by points, goal difference, goals scored, disciplinary record and, if required, a random draw. Those criteria apply between groups and are separate from the rules used to separate teams level on points within the same group.
That system means every group match remains significant, including for teams unable to secure one of the top two positions. The standing within the group and the comparison with the other third-placed sides will both matter after each game. No qualification outcome is guaranteed at this stage.
The round of 16 is scheduled for 28 and 29 October, with the quarter-finals on 1 November and semi-finals on 4 November. Knockout matches level after 90 minutes will go straight to a penalty shootout, with no extra time.
Matches through to the semi-finals are planned for the Women’s Football Complex in Rabat. The third-place play-off and final, both scheduled for 7 November, will take place at Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium. The published groups and timings are not final player lists.
