Egypt set to host 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, says CAF source

Egypt has been selected to host the next Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, according to a source within the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The tournament will serve as the qualifying competition for the football event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with all three of Africa’s men’s youth championships scheduled to take place in 2027.

“A decision has been taken for Egypt to host the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, which will qualify teams for the Los Angeles Olympics,” a CAF source told FilGoal.com.

The source added: “Ghana will host the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations, while Morocco will stage the U-17 tournament. The three competitions will be held in 2027.”

Egypt’s Football Association had previously confirmed that it had submitted a formal bid to host the Under-23 competition.

“We have submitted an official request to host the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, and we are waiting for CAF’s official response within hours,” a source from the association told FilGoal.com.

The decision would see Egypt host the Olympic qualifying tournament for the second time. The country previously staged the edition that led to qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, with the Pharaohs winning the title under manager Shawky Gharib.

Morocco hosted the most recent Africa U-23 Cup of Nations. The hosts won the competition after beating Egypt 2-1 in the final.

Morocco also claimed the bronze medal after defeating Egypt in the third-place play-off. Egypt finished fourth, a result described as a historic achievement for the Pharaohs.

The African competition will determine which nations represent the continent in the men’s football tournament at Los Angeles 2028.

The most recent Olympic men’s football final was played at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Spain beat France 5-3.

That victory secured Spain’s first Olympic football gold medal since the 1992 Games. Spain have won two gold medals overall and have also taken silver on three occasions, in 1920, 2000 and 2020.

France’s most recent Olympic gold medal came in 1984, while the country won silver in 1900.

The result in Paris 2024 consequently ended the shared position between Spain and France in the number of Olympic football gold medals, according to the report.

The allocation of the 2027 youth tournaments means Egypt, Ghana and Morocco will each stage one of CAF’s three leading men’s age-group competitions in the same calendar year. Egypt’s event will carry particular significance because of its direct link to qualification for Los Angeles 2028.

The final details of the tournament, including the dates, venues and qualification arrangements, were not included in the report.