Côte d’Ivoire Confirmed as Host for 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially announced that Côte d’Ivoire will host the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The tournament is set to begin on April 26, 2025.
The announcement was made during CAF’s congress on Monday in Marrakech, Morocco, bringing an end to months of speculation.
Key dates for African football in 2025 were also confirmed, including:
- AFCON 2025 draw on January 25 in Rabat
- U17 AFCON in Morocco starting March 30, 2025
- U20 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire from April 26, 2025
- CAF Confederation Cup final on May 17 and 25
- CAF Champions League final on May 24 and June 1
- CAF Women’s Champions League final on November 5
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, who have qualified for the competition, will now focus on preparing for the tournament.
Côte d’Ivoire’s selection as host was unexpected, as the country did not qualify for the tournament. This might lead CAF to make slight adjustments to the match schedule. Initially, Egypt and South Africa had shown interest in hosting the event but did not secure the bid.
Although the delayed announcement left teams and fans in suspense, the confirmation of Côte d’Ivoire as hosts now allows all teams to make their preparations.
The Flying Eagles, who won the WAFU B U20 Championship in October, are one of Africa’s strongest teams at this level. They won the regional title with a 2-1 victory over Ghana, with Kparobo Arierhi scoring twice in the final in Lomé.
Nigeria has won the U20 AFCON three times, with their last win coming in 2015. Ghana is the most successful team in the tournament, with four titles.
The 12 teams qualified for the 2025 U20 AFCON are Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Congo, DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Zambia.
Now, Nigeria’s focus is on ensuring the Flying Eagles are ready to reclaim continental glory in Côte d’Ivoire, where the next generation of African football stars will compete.
