Africa’s future stars are set to take on the world.
Following the conclusion of the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) (U-17 AFCON) play-offs on Saturday, the continent’s ten representatives for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 have been officially confirmed — setting the stage for an exciting new chapter in African youth football.
Egypt and Uganda clinched the final two coveted spots after grinding out decisive victories in their respective play-off ties, joining Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia as Africa’s flagbearers at the expanded global showpiece.
Uganda Make History, Pharaohs Rise in Cairo
In a moment of pure footballing theatre, Uganda pulled off a dramatic comeback to defeat The Gambia 2-1, punching their ticket to the U-17 World Cup for the first time in history.
Despite going behind inside the first minute, the East Africans kept their composure, with James Bogere stepping up as the hero. His well-taken brace in the 13th and 33rd minutes turned the game on its head, as Uganda held on to make an emotional breakthrough onto the world stage.
Later in the day, tournament hosts Egypt sent the home crowd into raptures with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Angola. A deflected strike from Abdel Aziz El Zoghby and a clinical finish from Hamza Mohamed Abdel Karim proved just enough, even after Angola mounted late pressure and pulled one back.
The Chosen Ten: Africa’s Contenders for Qatar 2025
With Uganda and Egypt sealing the last two places, the final ten teams representing Africa at the 2025 U-17 World Cup in Qatar (3–27 November) are:
- Uganda (debutants)
- Egypt (hosts of U-17 AFCON)
- Burkina Faso
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Mali
- Morocco
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Tunisia
- Zambia
A Stage for Africa’s Rising Stars
The 2025 edition in Qatar will be the largest FIFA U-17 World Cup in history, featuring 48 teams for the first time. It’s a massive opportunity for Africa’s young guns to announce themselves on a global platform that has birthed legends like Nwankwo Kanu, Seydou Keita, Michael Essien, and Mahamadou Diarra.
With preparations and the final tournament draw now on the horizon, anticipation is building. Africa will not only be well-represented — it will arrive with real belief, hungry for another breakthrough moment on the world stage.
From Kampala to Cairo, Dakar to Rabat, the journey to Doha has begun.
