Defending champions Senegal face tough test in 2026 U17 AFCON draw

African football’s governing body, CAF, has concluded the draw for this year’s CAF TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held in Morocco from May 13 to June 2, 2026.

The draw ceremony was held on Wednesday at the CAF headquarters in Cairo and was attended by African stars Fiston Mayele, Aliou Dieng and Ahmed Belhadji.

A total of 16 teams have been divided into four groups (A – D), with four teams in each group. Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, setting the stage for intense competition in all groups.

Host nation Morocco will face regional rivals Tunisia and Egypt, along with Ethiopia in Group A, creating a highly competitive North African showdown.

Group B includes former champions Ivory Coast and Cameroon, who will face Uganda and debutants Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In Group C, Mali, last year’s runners-up, will face Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania in what promises to be another closely contested group.

Defending champions Senegal head Group D, where they will face South Africa, Algeria and two-time champions Ghana, forming one of the most intriguing groups of the tournament.

Beyond continental glory, qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup is also at stake. The eight quarterfinalists will automatically qualify for the world tournament to be held in Qatar later this year. Teams that finish third in their groups will have another chance through play-off matches to determine the last two qualifying spots.

Africa will once again be represented by 10 nations in the world final.

TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 Groups:

Group A: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Ethiopia

Group B: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Uganda, DR Congo

Group C: Mali, Angola, Tanzania, Mozambique

Group D: Senegal, South Africa, Algeria, Ghana