The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has introduced a new festival-style tournament format for the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026.
Scheduled to run from May 13 to June 2, 2026, the competition will be largely hosted at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Morocco.
The centralized model will see participating teams train, compete, and operate within a single integrated environment — a departure from the traditional multi-city hosting structure.
CAF said the innovation is designed to create a more immersive tournament atmosphere, streamline logistics, ensure uniform match delivery, and support long-term player development.
However, select fixtures — including the opening match, semi-finals, and final — will be staged outside the main complex.
Group Draw
The draw has produced four competitive groups:
Group A: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Ethiopia
Group B: Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Uganda, DR Congo
Group C: Mali, Angola, Tanzania, Mozambique
Group D: Senegal, South Africa, Algeria, Ghana
Hosts Morocco, who are also defending champions, headline Group A, while traditional heavyweights such as Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, and Mali are distributed across the remaining groups.
Qualification Stakes
The tournament will double as a qualifying pathway to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026.
The eight teams that reach the quarter-finals will automatically qualify, while two additional slots will be determined through play-offs involving third-placed teams.
In total, 10 African nations will secure spots at the global showpiece in Qatar, underlining the tournament’s significance beyond continental glory.
