The Young Lions are among 14 nations granted byes and will therefore avoid the first round of two-legged qualifying ties.
Senegal have been placed in Pot 4, alongside Niger, Algeria, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon and Zambia. Pot 5 contains Morocco, Mali, Ghana, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Guinea.
How Senegal’s qualification route works
The opening round will involve 28 non-exempt nations, with the winners of the 14 two-legged ties advancing to the second round.
Those 14 winners will then be drawn against the 14 teams that received byes.
Senegal will therefore face one of the first-round winners in the second round.
The second-round winners will advance to the third and final qualifying round, where they will again play home-and-away ties.
The seven winners of those final ties will qualify for the 2027 U23 AFCON alongside hosts Egypt.
Senegal target Egypt
Egypt have already secured their place as hosts, meaning seven additional nations will qualify through the campaign to complete the eight-team tournament.
For Serigne Saliou Dia’s Olympic team, the second-round exemption provides an opportunity to conserve resources, but Senegal will still need to negotiate two rounds of qualifying to reach the finals.
The squad has already begun preparations, with the Olympic team currently in training camp.
Senegal will now await the outcome of the opening round to discover their first opponent on the road to Egypt and a place at the 2027 U23 AFCON.
