Senegal begin U23 AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign in second round

Senegal will begin their bid to qualify for the 2027 U23 Africa Cup of Nations in the second round after being exempted from the opening stage of the qualifiers.

The Young Lions are among 14 nations given a bye to the second round and will therefore avoid the first set of two-legged ties in the qualification process.

Senegal have been placed in Pot 4, which contains the lowest-ranked teams to receive exemptions from the opening round. They are joined in the pot by Niger, Algeria, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon and Zambia.

Pot 5 is made up of Morocco, Mali, Ghana, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Guinea.

The qualifying process will begin with 28 non-exempt nations competing in two-legged first-round ties. The winners of those 14 matchups will progress to the second round, where they will be drawn against the 14 teams that have already received byes.

For the second-round draw, a team from Pot 4 will be paired with one of the first-round winners. A Pot 5 side will then be matched with another first-round winner, with the same process continuing until all 14 second-round ties have been completed.

Senegal will therefore enter the competition at this stage, but a first-round exemption does not mean the Young Lions have a direct route to the final tournament.

The 14 winners from the second round will advance to the third and final qualifying round. They will then meet in home-and-away ties, with the seven winners earning qualification for the 2027 U23 Africa Cup of Nations.

Egypt have already secured their place in the tournament as hosts. The final competition will feature eight teams in total, made up of Egypt and the seven nations that emerge from the qualifying campaign.

For Senegal, this means Serigne Saliou Dia’s Olympic team will need to overcome two rounds of qualifying if they are to reach Egypt and compete for the continental title.

The squad has already been preparing for the campaign, with the Olympic team having been in training camp for several days.

Their preparation will now continue with a clear understanding of the route ahead. Senegal’s first match will come in the second round, where they will face one of the teams that successfully navigates the opening stage.

The eventual objective is one of seven qualification places available alongside hosts Egypt.