U-17 AFCON
Burkina Faso and Cameroon meet in Under -17 Afcon Group B opener
Burkina Faso and Cameroon open their Group B campaign at the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 with a clash at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on Monday (kick-off 17h00 local time / GMT).
This is the fourth meeting at the finals between the two sides. Of their previous three meetings at the finals, two games have ended drawn with Burkina Faso winning the other clash. All three of their previous clashes have been in the group stages.
Their first two matches in 1999 and 2001 both ended 1-1. Their last clash in 2023 saw Burkina Faso win 2-1 in their final group game.
When the teams have been paired before in the same group, Burkina Faso have progressed on all three previous occasions, while Cameroon have moved on in the tournament just once previously in 1999.
On all three previous occasions when Burkina Faso have faced Cameroon at the finals, they have ended in the top three, ending as runners up in 1999 and 2001, while they finished third in 2023.
BURKINA FASO FACTS
· Burkina Faso competing at their eighth finals. Only Nigeria (10), Mali (10) and Cameroon (9) have qualified for more. They have beenchampions in 2011, and runners-up in back to back tournaments in 1999 and 2001.
· They have only failed to progress beyond the group stages twice, in 2005 and 2007.
· The Burkinabereached the final in their first two appearances in 1999 and 2001.
· Third place finishers at the last finals in Algeria, despite losing their opening game against Mali in 2023, Burkina Faso recovered to defeat Cameroon 3-1 in their second group game, then defeated Nigeria in the quarter-finals. They lost to Senegal on penalties in the semi-finals, before defeating Mali in the play-off for third place.
· Burkina Faso were the first country in tournament history to reach back-to-back finals, doing so in 1999 and 2001, when they ended as runners-up. The only other country to achieve this feat is Mali, who won back to back titles in 2015 and 2017.
· They reached the final on their tournament debut in 1999 in Guinea, drawing their first two group games against Zimbabwe and Cameroon, before winning against hosts Guinea. In the last four they defeated Mali and lost to Ghana in the final.
· They made it to the final in 2001 in the Seychelles, defeating Mali and Seychelles, and drawing with Cameroon in the group stage. In the last four they defeated Guinea 2-1 and in the final they lost 3-0 to Nigeria.
· After final defeats in 1999 and 2001, they lifted the title at the third time of asking in Rwanda in 2011, despite an opening game loss to hosts Rwanda, they were able to defeat Senegal and Egypt 4-0 with Bertrand Traore scoring a brace to take them to the last four. Traore was on target in a 1-1 draw against Congo in the last four before they won on penalties. They defeated hosts Rwanda 2-1 in the final avenging their group stage loss.
· Burkina Faso were bronze medallist in 2009, defeating Zimbabwe 5-0, Malawi 2-0 and Niger 1-0 to reach the last four and then lost to Algeria 1-0, before winning bronze medal defeating Malawi 3-2 in the play-off for third.
· Making their eighth appearance at the finals, they have reached the knockout rounds in five previous tournaments in 1999, 2001, 2009, 2011 and 2023. They have only failed to progress beyond the group stages in 2005 and 2007.
· Burkina Faso’s record in their opening group game at the finals reads P7 W2 D1 L4. They have won their opening game at the finals twice in 2001 a 1-0 win over Mali and in 2009 a 5-0 triumph over Zimbabwe.
· They drew 0-0 with Zimbabwe in their first ever game at the tournament in 1999 the only occasion they opened up with a draw. They have lost their opening games in 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2023.
· Their biggest loss in their opening game was a 3-1 defeat against Ghana in 2007, while in 2005 they lost 1-0 against Zambia and 1-0 against Mali in 2023.
· Burkina Faso lost their opening game in 2011 against hosts Rwanda 2-1 but did manage to progress and went all the way to lift the title, they recovered to win their next two group games against Senegal 3-2 and Egypt 4-0.
· Edouard Dambre is the only player in the Burkina Faso squad to be based outside of his home country, he plays in Qatar for Al Saad.
CAMEROON FACTS
· Appearing in the tournament for a ninth time, they made their first appearance in Guinea in 1999. Only Nigeria (10) and Mali (10) have qualified for more finals than Cameroon (9). They are two times former winners in 2003 and 2019.
· Cameroon’s record in their opening game at the finals reads P8 W2 D1 L5.
· Cameroon have won their opening game at the tournament twice. In 2001 they recorded a 5-0 win over hosts Seychelles. They lost their opening game in four successive tournaments, in 2003 to Nigeria, in 2009 to Algeria, to Mali in 2015 and Ghana in 2017. They ended the barren run with a victory over Guinea in 2019 a 2-0 triumph as they would go onto win their second title. They lost their opening game at the last finals in Algeria against Mali losing 2-0.
· Cameroon’s win over Guinea in their opening game in 2019 is their only win in their opening game in their last six tournament participations.
· Despite losing their opening game in 2003 against Nigeria, Cameroon would recover and go onto lift the trophy, defeating Ethiopia 5-3 in their second group game. They rounded off their pool campaign with a 2-2 draw against Gambia, before defeating Egypt in the semi-finals 2-1 and Sierra Leone 1-0 in the final.
· Cameroon have kicked off the tournament against teams from West Africa six times previously. Their record in such games reads W1 D1 L4.
· Cameroon have faced teams from the WAFU region in 20 of their previous 28 games at the tournament. Their record in these games reads W2 D8 L10.
· Cameroon lost their last two games against West African teams. They were defeated by Mali and Burkina Faso in their two group stage games in 2023.
· In their last five tournament appearances they have managed to progress beyond the group stages just once in 2019, while they did not progress beyond the group phase in 2009, 2015, 2017 and 2023.
· Will be looking to duplicate the performances of the senior Cameroon national team, the Indomitable Lions who were crowned African Champions when Morocco hosted the 1988 AFCON.
· Cameroon made light work of qualifying through the UNNIFAC Zone, scoring 22 goals in their three qualifying matches while conceding a single goal.
· Cameroon U17 coach Alioum Saidou is a former Indomitable Lions international who represented his country at the 2006 AFCON finals in Egypt, starting and finishing all four games as they were eliminated on penalties by Cote d’ Ivoire in the quarter-finals.
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Defending champions Morocco will begin the defence of their continental crown on home soil on Wednesday as the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 kicks off with 16 nations battling for African glory and qualification to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.
The tournament, which runs from May 13 to June 2, will introduce CAF’s new festival-style format aimed at creating a more integrated and development-focused environment for Africa’s rising football stars.
Most matches will take place at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, widely regarded as one of Africa’s leading football facilities, while the opening match, semi-finals and final will be staged at other designated venues.
Morocco, which lifted the title in 2025, headlines a difficult Group A that also includes Tunisia, Egypt and Ethiopia.
The hosts are expected to carry enormous pressure as they seek to retain the trophy in front of home supporters, while also continuing the country’s growing influence in African and global football.
Under coach Tiago Lima Pereira, Morocco are expected to rely on an aggressive attacking approach built around ball possession, high pressing and fluid movement. Young talents Adam Bougazir, Rami Loukmani and Ilyan Hadidi are already attracting attention ahead of the competition.
Morocco’s opening clash against Tunisia is expected to provide an immediate examination of their title ambitions. Tunisia, led by coach Nadjeh Toumi, are known for their tactical discipline and defensive organisation and could pose a serious threat to the hosts.
The Moroccans are not only chasing continental success but also one of Africa’s 10 tickets to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026.
Under the tournament format, all eight quarter-finalists will automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the four third-placed teams from the group stage will contest additional play-off matches to determine the final two African representatives.
The competition also reflects Morocco’s growing status as a major football host nation following recent successes in organising continental and international tournaments.
Elsewhere, Group B features former champions Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon alongside Uganda and debutants DR Congo.
The tournament is expected to showcase some of Africa’s brightest emerging football talents, with nations hoping to combine continental success with qualification for the global stage in Qatar.
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Defending champions Morocco will launch the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations against Tunisia when the tournament kicks off next Wednesday, May 13, at the Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
The North African nation will host the continental cadet championship for the second consecutive edition, with the competition running from May 13 to June 2 across two major venues in Rabat and Maâmoura.
Having lifted the title on home soil in the previous edition, Morocco’s Atlas Cubs head into the tournament seeking to reaffirm their dominance in African youth football.
The opening fixture against Tunisia is expected to set the tone for a competition that also serves as qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Morocco’s emergence as a powerhouse in youth football has been linked to the long-term development strategy of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), whose investment in talent development and infrastructure has continued to yield results across different age categories.
Beyond the football itself, the tournament further strengthens Morocco’s status as a major destination for continental and global sporting events.
The country, which will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, has increasingly positioned itself as a hub for African football development and elite competition.
The hosting of the U-17 AFCON comes amid a packed sporting calendar for Morocco, with the 2026 Women’s AFCON, the 2026 Futsal AFCON and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup also scheduled to take place in the Kingdom.
Matches will be split between the Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat and the state-of-the-art Mohammed VI Football Complex in Maâmoura. While the Mohammed VI Complex will host the group-stage fixtures, the Rabat stadium will stage the opening match, both semi-finals and the final on June 2.
The Mohammed VI Football Complex, regarded as one of Africa’s finest football facilities, has become a symbol of Morocco’s heavy investment in sports infrastructure and youth development.
The tournament will provide Africa’s best young talents with a crucial platform to compete for qualification spots to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, while also offering international exposure for the continent’s next generation of stars.
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African football’s next generation of stars will take centre stage on Wednesday as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducts the Final Draw for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2026, in Cairo.
The ceremony, scheduled for 14:00 local time (12:00 GMT) at CAF headquarters, will feature some of the continent’s established stars, including Fiston Mayele, Aliou Dieng and Ahmed Belhadji, who are expected to lend glamour to the event.
However, the absence of Nigeria—five-time world champions at this level—casts a long shadow over the tournament, with the Golden Eaglets notably missing from the 16-team lineup. Nigeria’s failure to qualify marks a significant setback for one of Africa’s most successful youth football programmes, renowned for producing global stars and setting benchmarks at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The 2026 edition, to be hosted by Morocco, will bring together 16 teams drawn from across CAF’s zonal unions. Representing the CECAFA region are Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda, while Angola, Mozambique and South Africa fly the COSAFA flag.
From WAFU Zone A come Senegal and Mali, with Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana representing WAFU Zone B. Cameroon and DR Congo qualified from UNIFFAC, while Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia complete the lineup from UNAF, joining hosts Morocco.
The expanded format underscores CAF’s renewed commitment to youth development, offering increased opportunities for emerging talents to gain continental exposure. Beyond the quest for the African title, the stakes are even higher, as the tournament doubles as a qualification pathway to the FIFA U-17 World Cup later this year.
Africa will have 10 slots at the global tournament. The eight quarter-finalists will qualify automatically, while the remaining two tickets will be decided through play-off matches involving the four third-placed teams from the group stage.
For many of the participating nations, Morocco 2026 represents a crucial platform to showcase their next wave of stars. Yet, for Nigeria, the competition will unfold from the sidelines—a rare and sobering development for a country long regarded as a powerhouse of youth football on the continent.
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