Morocco hosts the 16th edition of the U17 Africa Cup of Nations starting this Wednesday. Sixteen African nations are vying to succeed the Atlas Lions, the defending champions. Senegal, Mali, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast are among the contenders for the continental crown, with qualifying spots for the next U17 World Cup in Qatar also at stake.

The 16th edition of the U17 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off this Thursday in Morocco. For several weeks, sixteen African teams will compete for the continental trophy, with qualification for the next U17 World Cup in Qatar at stake.

As host nation and defending champions, Morocco enters this competition as overwhelming favorites. The Atlas Lions will rely heavily on their young star Ibrahim Rabbaj as they attempt to retain their title in front of their home crowd. In Group A, the Moroccans will have to be wary of Tunisia, Egypt, and Ethiopia.

Of the ten nations crowned champions in the history of the competition, only Nigeria, Gambia and Burkina Faso will miss this 2026 edition. An absence that opens the way further to several contenders for the title.

In Group B, Ivory Coast, champions in 2013, and Cameroon, double winners of the competition in 2003 and 2019, are the favorites against DR Congo and Uganda.

Group C will be dominated by Mali, one of the leading teams in African youth football. The Young Eagles, champions in 2015 and 2017, will try to impose their experience against Angola, Tanzania, and Mozambique.

For their part, Senegal, the 2023 champions, will be drawn into a particularly tough Group D. The Young Lions will face Ghana, winners of the inaugural edition in 1995, as well as Algeria and South Africa.

This U17 Africa Cup of Nations also carries major global significance. The eight teams that reach the quarter-finals will automatically qualify for the U17 World Cup, scheduled to take place in Qatar.

Between ambitions of victory, historical rivalries and anticipated revelations, this U17 AFCON Morocco-2026 promises a high-level spectacle and could reveal the future stars of African football.