North Africa granted extra place as U17 AFCON qualifiers postponed

The North African qualifiers for the 2027 Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations have been postponed until March 2026, while the region has also been handed an additional slot in the tournament finals.

According to Algerian media, the Union of North African Football (UNAF) confirmed the delay, affecting Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, who were set to contest the regional qualifiers later this year.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) simultaneously announced that North Africa will be allocated three places in the final competition, maintaining the same representation seen in the 2025 edition hosted in Morocco.

The adjustment comes as part of CAF’s decision to expand the tournament from 12 to 16 teams.

The precedent for three North African representatives was set in 2025 after Congo were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player.

That ruling allowed Tunisia to join Morocco and Egypt in the finals, with Morocco going on to lift the trophy.

The increased allocation is regarded as a significant boost for the region, ensuring greater opportunities for its youth sides to feature on the continental stage.

For nations with a strong tradition of nurturing young footballing talent, the decision is seen as recognition of their competitive consistency.

At the last tournament earlier this year, North Africa’s teams delivered impressive performances.

Morocco and Egypt advanced from the group stage, with Tunisia joining them after benefiting from Congo’s exclusion.

Their collective showing matched the output of Southern Africa, where Zambia and South Africa progressed but Angola fell short.

West Africa fared even better, with Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso all reaching the knockout round, leaving only Gambia eliminated at the group stage.

🚨OFFICIEL : Les matchs de qualification de l’UNAF pour la CAN U17 sont reportés à mars 2026 ! 🔜🌍

La CAF a également élargi le quota, en offrant désormais trois places qualificatives au lieu de deux. 🆕 pic.twitter.com/k7m5e8c36W

— ⭐️ Squadra Khadra 🇩🇿 (@Squadra213) September 18, 2025

CAF’s reforms are intended to broaden participation across the continent, giving more nations the chance to showcase young players at a competitive level.

For North Africa, the news brings both relief and opportunity: relief, because the postponed qualifiers grant more time for preparation, and opportunity, because the additional place increases the likelihood of stronger regional representation in 2027.

With the qualifiers now set for early 2026, the five North African nations have a longer runway to identify and prepare squads capable of competing for continental honours.

Morocco’s recent triumph has already set a benchmark, and with three spots guaranteed, the region’s influence in the next U17 AFCON could be even more pronounced.