The Final Draw for the TotalEnergies CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 took place on Thursday, February 13, in Cairo, placing Uganda in Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Tanzania and Zambia.
The tournament is scheduled to run from March 30 to April 19, 2025.
Reacting about the draw, the Cubs Head Coach Brian Ssenyondo expressed that his boys will be committed despite being placed in what he terms as the group of death.
‘Our target is the World Cup. It is not a draw you would welcome but one you would take. Having the host Morrocco is a hard one’ said Ssenyondo
‘I have not read so much about Zambia but I know they have played AFCON three consecutive times which makes them a tough opponent’ added the CECAFA U17 winning coach.
The draw divided the 16 qualified teams into four groups of four, with Morocco automatically assigned position A1 in Group A as the host nation.
This marks Uganda’s third appearance at the U17 AFCON, having previously qualified for 2019 in Tanzania and then the 2021 edition, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Uganda U17 team ‘Cubs’ secured their spot in this year’s tournament by winning the CECAFA U17 Qualifiers, defeating Tanzania 2-1 in the final held at Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo in Kampala.
Uganda receives 2 similar opponents – Zambia and Morrocco like the ones battled in the same tournament in 2021 but was canceled due to COVID 19 pandemic.
This year’s U17 World Cup will be historic, as FIFA has expanded the tournament to 48 teams, with a record 10 African Nations set to participate in the global showcase from November 5-27, 2025, in Qatar.
Here is the full U17 AFCON 2025 Group Stage Draw
Group A: Morocco (hosts), Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia
Group B: Burkina Faso, UNIFFAC1, South Africa, Egypt
Group C: Senegal, The Gambia, Somalia, Tunisia
Group D: Mali, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, UNIFFAC2
