The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially confirmed that the draw for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations will be redone, following a shift in tournament hosting duties from Côte d’Ivoire to Egypt.
The decision, communicated to all qualified Member Associations through an official circular, comes in response to Côte d’Ivoire’s unexpected withdrawal as host on 26 March 2025 — just weeks before the competition’s scheduled kickoff.
The CAF Executive Committee swiftly awarded hosting rights to Egypt, prompting a necessary reconfiguration of the group stage draw to reflect the new tournament logistics and align with international hosting protocols.
The U-20 AFCON, now set to take place in Egypt from 27 April to 18 May 2025, had already undergone a final draw on 13 February in Cairo.
Under the original format, Egypt, along with Nigeria, Morocco, and South Africa, had been placed in Group B, while Côte d’Ivoire, as the designated host, led Group A, which included DR Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, and a UNIFFAC representative.
However, in line with standard CAF regulations, the host nation is required to lead Group A. With Egypt now stepping in to organise the tournament, a complete re-draw has become unavoidable.
This move is also intended to maintain fairness in competition structure and to reflect the altered landscape of qualified teams due to recent changes in participation.
According to the circular issued by Samson Adamu, CAF Director of Tournaments and Events, Egypt will be granted automatic qualification as host.
Consequently, the two best-ranked sides from the UNAF qualifying zone—Morocco and Tunisia—will take the remaining regional slots.
Additionally, the suspension of Congo from participation has led to a further reshuffle, with the Central African Republic replacing them.
Central Africa had been the last side eliminated by Congo in the qualifying rounds, making them the next eligible team to fill the vacant spot.
“Due to the change of host and the qualification of Central Africa, several factors have collectively affected the match schedule and necessitated a revision of the previously conducted draw,” the CAF circular stated.
The decision to revise the groupings, while abrupt, follows global best practice in tournament planning and has been taken to ensure an equitable competition framework.
The re-draw will consider all the new developments, including team placements, venue availability, and updated match schedules.
This latest reshuffle injects fresh uncertainty into the buildup to the U-20 AFCON. For teams like Nigeria, who had already begun strategic preparations based on the original draw, the revised groupings could significantly alter tactical plans.
CAF has not yet disclosed the new date for the re-draw, but participating nations have been advised to prepare for updates to travel and logistics, as changes to the competition structure are expected to be extensive.
The 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations promises to be an intense contest, now with Egypt at the helm of organisation and a new set of group dynamics waiting to be unveiled.
