The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially expanded the number of participating teams in the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from 12 to 16, reports Nigeriasoccernet.com......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
This decision was approved by CAF’s Executive Committee on Monday and marks a significant shift in the tournament format ahead of the competition, which will take place in Morocco from March 30 to April 19, 2025.
The move comes after FIFA increased Africa’s slots at the U-17 World Cup from five to ten, a decision that initially did not reflect in CAF’s qualification structure. Many football analysts had criticized CAF’s reluctance to follow FIFA’s expansion with a similar increase in AFCON slots. However, with the latest adjustment, more teams will now have a chance to compete on the continental stage and qualify for the global tournament.
Impact on Nigeria’s Qualification Hopes
With the increase to 16 teams, Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets—five-time world champions—can now remain hopeful of securing a spot in the tournament. The team missed out on an automatic qualification after finishing third in the 2024 WAFU B Championship, where only the top two teams earned direct qualification.
So far, ten teams have already secured their places in the 2025 U-17 AFCON:
North Africa: Egypt, Morocco
West Africa: Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast
East Africa: Tanzania, Uganda
Southern Africa: Angola, Zambia
With six additional slots now available, Nigeria will have another opportunity to qualify and compete for a spot in the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup, set to be held in Qatar.
All eight quarter-finalists at the U-17 AFCON will automatically qualify for the World Cup, making this tournament even more crucial for Nigeria’s young talents. The Golden Eaglets, historically one of Africa’s most successful youth teams, will be keen to take advantage of this opportunity and return to the global stage.