Africa’s Future Stars Await U-20 AFCON 2025 Draw

African football’s rising stars will discover their paths to continental glory on Sunday when the draw for the CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), tagged Egypt 2025, is conducted in Cairo.

The draw, scheduled for 17:00 local time (15:00 GMT), will be broadcast live from the Egyptian Football Association headquarters on CAF TV and ON Time Sports, officially setting the stage for the 17th edition of a tournament that has become a crucial launchpad for many of Africa’s brightest football talents.

Running from 27th April to 18th May, the 2025 tournament will bring together 13 teams from across the continent, divided into three groups—one of five teams and two of four. The top two teams from each group, plus the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals.

Host nation Egypt, three-time winners of the tournament, will automatically occupy position A1 in the draw. Reigning champions Senegal, aiming to defend the title they won in 2023, will be placed in C1, while Nigeria, record seven-time winners and third-place finishers in the last edition, are seeded in B1.

The CAF U-20 AFCON has long served as a springboard to stardom. Past editions have spotlighted players like Mohamed Salah, Andre Ayew and Victor Osimhen, who all went on to feature at the highest levels of the global game.

This year’s draw will therefore be watched keenly—not just for team match-ups, but also as a first glimpse of potential future stars.

• Read more: CAF Awards U-20 AFCON Hosting Rights To Egypt 
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Tunisia, Zambia, and Central African Republic, who qualified for the 2023 edition, form Pot 1 and will be drawn into positions A2, B2, and C2 respectively.

Pot 2 includes returning heavyweights Ghana and Morocco, alongside Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, and DR Congo.

The event also celebrates the presence of Sierra Leone, making their debut in the tournament’s history, while Ghana, four-time champions, seek redemption after missing the previous edition.

As the draw unfolds, Africa will be watching closely. With a mix of seasoned contenders and ambitious debutants, the CAF U-20 AFCON, Egypt 2025, promises not just fierce competition, but a showcase of the next wave of African football talent.