Egypt U-20s close in on 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Egypt’s 2007-born youth team moved closer to qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations after beating Tunisia 2-1 in their second North Africa qualifying match.

The result gave Egypt six points from two games and kept them top of the group, but head coach Wail Riyad said qualification had not yet been secured.

“We have not officially qualified yet, and we are playing our matches with confidence, humility and belief in our abilities,” Riyad, also known as Shitos, told ON Sport after the match.

Egypt will guarantee their place in the Africa Cup of Nations if they defeat Morocco in their next match. The two sides are due to meet on Saturday.

“We will officially celebrate our qualification, God willing, in the next match against Morocco on Saturday,” Riyad added.

The coach said the North Africa qualifiers were particularly demanding, comparing the level of competition to that of the finals themselves.

“The North Africa region is difficult and resembles the Africa Cup of Nations finals rather than a qualifying tournament,” he said.

The tournament features Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Libya, with the top two teams qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.

Africa is divided into six qualifying zones, with two teams from each zone progressing to the Africa Cup of Nations for youth teams.

Morocco are second in the standings with four points from two matches. Algeria also have four points but have played three games, leaving them behind Morocco.

Tunisia have two points from three matches, while Libya are bottom without a point after two games.

Egypt face Morocco in the next round, while Tunisia will play Libya.

A victory over Morocco would confirm Egypt’s qualification, while Riyad’s side will be looking to maintain their position at the top of the standings after winning both of their opening matches.