African stars to headline U-17 AFCON draw

The line-up for the CAF U-17 AFCON Morocco 2026 final draw will have a strong modern African flavour, with three current stars set to assist in Wednesday’s ceremony in Cairo.

CAF has confirmed that Fiston Mayele, Aliou Dieng, and Ahmed Belhadji will help conduct the draw at its headquarters at 14:00 local time (12:00 GMT), with fans able to follow live on CAF TV.

Mayele, a DR Congo international and Pyramids FC forward, comes into the event on the back of finishing top scorer in the 2024/25 CAF Champions League and firing his club to a first-ever continental crown. Mali midfielder Dieng, a long-serving figure for Al Ahly and his national team, and Morocco’s Belhadji, a key man for Ceramica Cleopatra with experience at clubs such as Zamalek, add further prestige.

The 16 qualified nations, including hosts Morocco and representatives from all African zones, will be split into four groups of four.

The top two in each group reach the knockouts, while quarter-finalists secure FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026 spots, with extra play-offs deciding the final African places.