Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania Most Hit By U-17 Afcon Cancellation

By Our Reporter

Uganda among other big Africa teams have been hit hard after Caf yesterday announced the last-minute cancellation of the prestigious youth tournament, only five days before it was due to begin

The U-17 Africa Cup of Nations has been cancelled by the Confederation of African Football only five days before the tournament was set to kick-off, amidst ongoing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic in host country Morocco and beyond.

With the U-17 Afcon providing Africa’s qualifiers for the tournament, the decision to cancel the World Cup appears to have undermined Caf’s will to ensure the African competition goes ahead.

The Confederation’s statement also identified “the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased restrictions on international travel, [and] uncertainty about the evolution of the situation” as further factors that influenced their decision.

The news is sure to come as a major disappointment to Africa’s young stars, for whom the U-17 Afcon and the World Cup can represent critical launchpads in their nascent careers.

Nwankwo Kanu, Seydou Keita, Sammy Kuffour and Kelechi Iheanacho are some of the well-known African stars who first came to the attention of a wider audience during the youth tournament.