DR ‹ › The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unveiled an innovative festival-style format for its youth tournaments, seamlessly blending matches, training sessions, and team operations within a single environment. The first competition to embrace this new approach will be the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON U17) Morocco 2026, set to run from May 13 to June 2. As detailed on CAF's official website, the majority of the games will be held at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, with the exception of the opening match, the semi-finals, and the final. This revamped format is designed to cultivate a dynamic tournament atmosphere, enhance operational efficiency, and maintain organizational consistency, all while fostering the long-term development of young talent. The tournament draw has organized the teams into four groups. Host nation Morocco finds itself in Group A with Tunisia, Egypt, and Ethiopia. Group B features Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Uganda, and DR Congo. Group C includes Mali, Angola, Tanzania, and Mozambique, while Group D sees Senegal facing off against South Africa, Algeria, and Ghana. The eight teams that advance to the quarter-finals will automatically qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026 in Qatar. Meanwhile, the teams finishing in third place will compete in playoffs to secure the final two spots. In total, ten African nations will have the honor of representing the continent on the global stage.
