After Fifa expansion
The Gambia Under-17 men’s team will after all play in the Caf championship taking place in Morocco next month despite missing the ticket when it finished 3rd in the Wafu A qualifiers last year.
The draw for the tournament was made over the weekend with The Gambia placed in Group C alongside champions Senegal, Tunisia and Somalia.
The Gambia’s lucky ticket into the Caf championship came after Fifa increased Africa’s slots in the World Under -17 finals to 10 teams, and Caf had to follow suit, with 16 teams now to play in the Caf one, hence a new criteria was designed to go back to the zones for more teams.
The Gambia, finishing third in Wafu A qualifiers which already contained Caf Under- 17 champion Senegal, naturally benefited from the additional slots and would play in the tournament in Morocco in March.
Conducted by former Mali international Adama Coulibaly and ex-Senegalese star Souleymane Camara, the draw officially mapped out what promises to be another exciting edition of the youth competition set to be contested by 16 African nations between 30 March – 19 April, 2025 in Morocco.
The draw outcome also saw tournament hosts Morocco headlining an interesting Group A consisting of Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.
Bronze medallists at the last edition held in Algeria, Burkina Faso will be up against UNIFFAC 1 (Champions of UNIFFAC Qualifiers), 2015 runners-up South Africa, as well former champions Egypt in Group B.
Reigning champions Senegal, who edged Morocco in the last edition’s tightly contested final, will kick off their title defense in Group C against 2009 winners Gambia, Somalia and 2013 bronze medallists Tunisia.
In Group D, Mali, who finished fourth in Algeria, take on tournament debutants Angola, 2013 champions, Cote d’Ivoire and UNIFFAC 2 (Runners-up of UNIFFAC Qualifiers).
In addition to the glory of being crowned African champions, this year’s edition also serves as a qualifier to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 where Africa will be represented by 10 teams.
Summary of draw
GROUP A: Morocco (Hosts), Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia
GROUP B: Burkina Faso, UNIFFAC 1, South Africa, Egypt
GROUP C: Senegal, Gambia, Somalia, Tunisia
GROUP D: Mali, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, UNIFFAC 2
The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) conducted the official Final Draw for the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 on Thursday, 13 February at CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
Conducted by former Mali international Adama Coulibaly and ex-Senegalese star Souleymane Camara, the draw officially mapped out what promises to be another exciting edition of the youth competition set to be contested by 16 African nations between 30 March – 19 April, 2025 in Morocco.
The draw outcome saw tournament hosts Morocco headlining an interesting Group A consisting of Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.
Bronze medallists at the last edition held in Algeria, Burkina Faso will be up against UNIFFAC 1 (Champions of UNIFFAC Qualifiers), 2015 runners-up South Africa, as well former champions Egypt in Group B.
Reigning champions Senegal, who edged Morocco in the last edition’s tightly contested final, will kick off their title defense in Group C against 2009 winners Gambia, Somalia and 2013 bronze medallists Tunisia.
In Group D, Mali, who finished fourth in Algeria, take on tournament debutants Angola, 2013 champions, Cote d’Ivoire and UNIFFAC 2 (Runners-up of UNIFFAC Qualifiers).
In addition to the glory of being crowned African champions, this year’s edition also serves as a qualifier to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 where Africa will be represented by 10 teams.
Nigeria currently hold the record for the most FIFA U-17 World Cup titles with five to their name.
TotalEnergies CAF U-17 CAF AFCON Morocco 2025 Draw Outcome:
GROUP A: Morocco (Hosts), Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia
GROUP B: Burkina Faso, UNIFFAC 1, South Africa, Egypt
GROUP C: Senegal, Gambia, Somalia, Tunisia
GROUP D: Mali, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, UNIFFAC 2
