Egypt to host 2025 AFCON U20 after Ivory Coast withdrawal

Cairo, Egypt:- The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has awarded Egypt the hosting rights for the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025, following the withdrawal of Côte d’Ivoire due to unforeseen challenges.

CAF made the announcement in a statement on Thursday, March 27, confirming that the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football (FIF) and the Ivorian government communicated their inability to proceed with hosting the tournament.

“The Fédération Ivoirienne de Football (FIF) and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire have informed us that, due to unforeseen circumstances, they are unable to host the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025,” the statement reads.

Egypt, which had previously placed a bid to host the tournament before Côte d’Ivoire was selected, will now organize the event scheduled to kick off on April 27, 2025, and conclude with the final match on May 18, 2025.

CAF expressed gratitude to the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) and the Egyptian Government for their readiness to step in at short notice.

“CAF is grateful for the ongoing cooperation of the Egyptian Football Association and the Egyptian Government, who are ready to host the tournament,” the statement added.

Egypt successfully hosted the previous edition of the Under-20 AFCON in 2023, where Senegal emerged victorious with a 2-0 win over Gambia in the final. This experience is expected to contribute positively to Egypt’s preparation and execution of the 2025 tournament.

Tournament Format and Qualification

The 2025 edition will feature teams from across Africa competing for a chance to qualify for the 2025 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile. The competition will follow a round-robin group stage format, followed by knockout rounds.

The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals. Ultimately, the four best teams will secure spots at the 2025 FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

Kenya and Tanzania, who reached the CECAFA region’s qualification final in Dar es Salaam, will represent the region alongside strong teams such as Nigeria, Senegal, and Egypt.