The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially named Egypt as the host of the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following Cote d’Ivoire’s withdrawal.
CAF announced the decision in a statement on Thursday evening, confirming that the tournament will now take place in Egypt after Cote d’Ivoire pulled out a month before the scheduled kick-off. The West African nation cited “unforeseen circumstances” as the reason for stepping down as host.
The statement reads: “The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) today awarded the Egyptian Football Association (“EFA”) and Egyptian Government the rights to host the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025.
“This is subsequent to CAF having been informed by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football (“FIF”) and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire that due to unforeseen circumstances, they are unable to host the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025.”
Egypt, which hosted the last edition of the tournament, will take on the responsibility once again, with the competition now set to kick off on April 27.
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have been drawn into Group B alongside the new hosts, Morocco, and South Africa.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, while the two best third-placed teams will also secure quarter-final spots. The four semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the 2025 U-20 FIFA World Cup in Chile.
