Algeria and Tunisia draw as Egypt staff watch North Africa youth tournament opener

Algeria and Tunisia began the North Africa youth tournament with a 1-1 draw in Ismailia, with members of Egypt’s coaching staff in attendance ahead of their own opening fixture.

The match, featuring players born in 2007, was played at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium. The competition serves as a qualifying tournament for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The North Africa tournament is being staged in Ismailia from 21 September to 6 October 2026, with matches taking place at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium and Ismailia Stadium.

Egypt’s assistant coaching staff watched the opening game from the stands. The group included assistants Sherif Abdel Latif and Ahmed Raouf, as well as performance analyst Ahmed Mostafa.

Egypt, managed by Wael Riyad, will start their campaign against Libya at 20:00 in the first round of matches.

Five teams are taking part in the tournament: Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. The competition will determine two qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations, which is scheduled to be held in Ghana in February 2027.

Route to the Under-20 World Cup

Four teams from the Africa Cup of Nations will qualify for the next FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

The tournament will be held in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in May and June 2027, with 24 national teams taking part.