Morocco awarded 2027 U17 AFCON as CAF confirms youth tournament hosts

Morocco will host the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded the tournament to the North African country at its latest Executive Committee meeting.

The decision further strengthens Morocco’s position as one of the continent’s main hosts for CAF competitions, despite previous comments from Royal Moroccan Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa suggesting the country would step away from bidding for African tournaments.

CAF also confirmed the hosts for two other youth competitions. Ghana will stage the 2027 U20 Africa Cup of Nations, while Egypt has been selected to host the next U23 Africa Cup of Nations, which will also act as the qualifying competition for the 2028 Olympic Games.

The decision to hand Morocco another tournament comes after Lekjaa said in June that the country would no longer seek to host African competitions.

“From today onwards, Morocco will no longer submit any bids to host African competitions, whatever their nature. If other countries wish to organize them, that is their prerogative.”

His comments followed several years in which Morocco had regularly stepped in to host CAF competitions when alternative venues were unavailable.

Lekjaa had also explained Morocco’s decision to stage the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, saying there had been no sufficiently strong alternative.

“We will host the Women’s AFCON because no other country wanted it. We agreed to host it because everything is ready, and we have nothing to lose,” he explained.

The decision to award the 2027 U17 AFCON to Morocco therefore raises questions about whether Lekjaa’s earlier position was primarily aimed at major senior competitions, rather than youth tournaments.

Morocco’s infrastructure remains one of the factors that makes it an attractive option for CAF. The country has modern stadiums, training facilities, hotels and transport networks that have already been used for major international competitions.

That readiness allows CAF to reduce the organizational risks associated with staging continental tournaments and helps explain why Morocco continues to feature prominently in the governing body’s hosting decisions.

The latest allocation means Morocco will again welcome an African youth competition, while Ghana and Egypt will also play central roles in CAF’s youth football calendar.

For CAF, the choice of the three countries provides established destinations for competitions involving the continent’s emerging players.

Morocco’s selection for the 2027 U17 AFCON also reinforces its reputation as a reliable host despite the concerns raised by Lekjaa’s earlier comments.

The Kingdom therefore remains an important part of CAF’s tournament plans, with the award of the 2027 U17 AFCON confirming that Morocco continues to be considered a dependable venue for African football competitions.