CAF has revealed the draw procedure for the 2025 AFCON U20 as the Flying Eagles of Nigeria is named among the top seeds for the competition, www.aclsports.com reports.
Alongside the competition’s most successful team Nigeria, the qualified nations include Egypt and Morocco (North Africa), holders Senegal and Sierra Leone (WAFU A), Ghana and hosts Côte d’Ivoire (WAFU B), Tanzania and Kenya (CECAFA), South Africa and Zambia (COSAFA), and DR Congo (Central Africa). Aliyu Zubairu’s side won the WAFU B regional championship late last year, beating Ghana in the final.
As confirmed by the football governing body – the biennial youth competition – will take place in Côte d’Ivoire from April 26 to May 18, 2025.
2025 U20 AFCON: Tournament Format & Draw Procedure
The 13 qualified teams will be divided into three groups:
Group A will have five teams, while Groups B and C will each contain four teams.
The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will qualify for the quarterfinals, leading to the semifinals, third-place playoff, and final.
CAF’s ranking for the draw is as follows:
Senegal – Winners in 2023
Nigeria – Third place in 2023
Congo – Second in group stage
Egypt – Third in group stage
Zambia – Fourth in group stage
The hosts, Côte d’Ivoire, will automatically take position A1, while Senegal and Nigeria will occupy positions C1 and B1, as the other top seeds.
The draw will be conducted using five pots:
Pot 1: Congo, Egypt, Zambia (to be drawn into A2, B2, and C2)
Pot 2: The remaining seven teams (to be drawn into various group positions)
Pot 3-5: Assigned for positions A3, B3, C3, A4, B4, C4, and A5
The Flying Eagles of Nigeria have won the U-20 AFCON seven times and have also finished as runners-up twice at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Meanwhile, the team’s last U-20 AFCON triumph came in 2015, when they defeated hosts Senegal 1-0 in the final in Dakar.
