The Final Draw for the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Côte d’Ivoire 2025 will take place on Thursday, February 13, in Cairo at 14:25 local time (12:25 GMT).
The draw will be broadcast live on CAF TV, with former Mali international, Adama Coulibaly and ex-Senegal star, Souleymane Camara serving as draw assistants.
The competition, scheduled from April 26 – May 18, 2025, will feature 13 teams, with the top four nations earning a place at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile (September 27 – October 19, 2025).
Qualified Teams
- Côte d’Ivoire (Hosts)
- DR Congo
- Egypt
- Ghana
- Kenya
- Morocco
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
- Tanzania
- Zambia
- UNIFFAC 2* (Still to be determined following Congo’s FIFA suspension)
Tournament Format
- The 13 teams will be drawn into three groups (A, B, and C).
- Group A will have five teams, while Groups B and C will each have four teams.
- Host nation Côte d’Ivoire is automatically assigned to position A1 in Group A.
- Defending champions Senegal take position C1, while third-placed Nigeria from AFCON 2023 takes position B1.
Draw Procedure
The draw will use five pots, with teams placed based on their performance in the CAF U-20 AFCON 2023.
- Pot 1: Egypt, UNIFFAC 2, Zambia (Level 2 teams, to be drawn into A2, B2, and C2)
- Pot 2: Ghana, DR Congo, Kenya, Morocco, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania (Remaining teams to be drawn into A3, B3, C3, A4, B4, and C4)
- Pot 3: Positions A2, B2, C2
- Pot 4: Positions A3, B3, C3
- Pot 5: Positions A4, B4, C4
- The last remaining team will automatically be placed in A5.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals, along with the two best third-placed teams. The tournament will then proceed in a knockout format until the final.
All eyes will be on Cairo as teams await their fate in this highly anticipated youth football showcase!
