Julius OkorieThe 15th edition of the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), dubbed Morocco 2025, kicks off today with two-time winners and five-time world champions Nigeria conspicuously missing in action.
How Eaglets Failed To Qualify
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Golden Eaglets finished third in the 2024 WAFU B U-17 Championship, defeating Ghana 3-2 in the third-place match.
However, only the top two teams, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, earned automatic qualification. Missing Morocco 2025 equally means Nigeria failed to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup billed for Qatar later this year. It marks the first time Nigeria will be missing U-17 AFCON since 2017.
Morocco last staged the Under-17 continental finals in 2013 when Nigerian striker, Kelechi Iheanacho, was one of the stand-out performers scoring four goals, even as Nigeria emerged runners up that year losing to eventual winners, Ivory Coast on 5-4 penalties.
Nigeria has won the championship at the world stage a record five times beginning with the maiden edition in 1985 when it began as U-16 championship.
More Slots For Africa
The nation is missing at a time when there is a record 10 places for Africa in the expanded 48-team FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, an opportunity for the continent to showcase its outstanding emerging talent on the global stage.
The tournament in Morocco will sport a new trophy, with the concept behind the silverware being the ‘Journey Begins.’ It features a road-like structure symbolising the player’s path, integrated with the map of Africa to reflect continental pride and unity.
Four venues will play host to matches – El Bachir Stadium in Mohammedia, Larbi Zaouli Stadium and Berrechid Stadium, which are both Casablanca, as well as the El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida.
Morocco, Uganda Open Tournament
Hosts Morocco take on East African champions Uganda in the opener today
Uganda are making their second appearance at the finals in its current guise and will also face North African opposition for the first time, and the second occasions they will face the tournament hosts.
In their debut appearance in 2019 they met hosts Tanzania in their second game in Group A, a match they won 3-0 in Dar es Salaam.
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Morocco becomes the fourth different nation that Uganda will face at the finals, they have previously met Angola, Nigeria and Tanzania.
The first five hosts between 1995 and 2003, Mali, Botswana, Guinea, Seychelles and Eswatini failed to win their opening game (D1 L4). In this time only Guinea, who drew with Cameroon in their opening game in 1999, avoided defeat.
Gambia were the first hosts to win their opening game, doing so with a 1-0 victory against Burkina Faso.
Thereafter, the next four tournaments hosts, Togo in 2007, Algeria in 2009, Rwanda in 2011 and Morocco in 2013, won their opening game.
The biggest loss for a tournament host in their opening game was a 5-0 defeat for Seychelles in a 2001 against Cameroon.
Need To Take Age Grade Competitions Seriously
Nigeria will surely be missed in this tournament, and for Nigeria to have failed to qualify for this year’s edition is an indication that the country may have removed feet from the throttle in age grade sports development.
Age grade competitions are a must in the bag of countries who want to make a statement in the round leather game and be counted as soccer power house.
There are no minors in football any more. Countries that will continue to maintain their description as soccer power house are countries that have effective youth and age grade competitions that ensures that junior players graduate from U-17, to U-20 and U-23 and then into the senior team.
Youth development ministry must work together with sports commission to give more attention to age grade competitions.
The Principal Cup, which identified talented players like late Stephen Keshi, Henry Nwosu and many others that eventually blossomed into great players of yester-years need to be re-awakened.
Nigeria must ensure that this edition remains the last one to be missed, if the country is to compete effectively in all competitions in the future.
TotalEnergies CAF U-17 CAF AFCON, Morocco 2025 Groups
GROUP A: Morocco (Hosts), Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia
GROUP B: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, South Africa, Egypt
GROUP C: Senegal, Gambia, Somalia, Tunisia
GROUP D: Mali, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Central African Republic
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
