CAF draws: CHAN 2024, Women's Futsal AFCON, U17 AFCON and U20 AFCON groups revealed

The Confederation of African Football held a series of key draws in Cairo on Thursday for several major competitions. From the second round of qualifying for CHAN 2024 and the very first Women's Futsal AFCON to the groups for the U17 and U20 Africa Cup of Nations, the months ahead for African football are taking shape.

Final CHAN 2024 places up for grabs

Qualifying for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) is entering its final phase. Several nations, initially reluctant to take part, have changed their stance after the announcement of increased prize money and will try to book their place at the finals, scheduled for this summer.

The winners of these ties will then go through to a second round, where Algeria, runners-up in the last edition, have already been given automatic qualification. The first-round first legs will take place between 28 February and 2 March, with the return legs scheduled for 7 to 9 March. The second round will follow in May.

First round

• Comoros - Malawi
• South Africa - Egypt
• Gambia - Gabon

Second round

• Winner Comoros - Malawi vs Winner South Africa - Egypt
• Winner Gambia - Gabon vs Algeria

2025 Women's Futsal AFCON: a historic first

CAF headquarters also hosted the draw for the first Women's Futsal AFCON, which will be held in Morocco from 22 to 30 April 2025. It is a major step for the development of the discipline on the continent, particularly as the competition will serve as qualification for the World Cup, scheduled for the Philippines from 21 November to 7 December 2025.

The Women's Futsal AFCON groups

• Group A: Morocco, Cameroon, Namibia
• Group B: Angola, Egypt, Guinea
• Group C: Madagascar, Tanzania, Senegal

Morocco, a powerhouse of men's futsal, will look to shine in a tournament where Angola and Egypt are shaping up as serious contenders for the title.

U17 AFCON: a lot at stake for the World Cup

The draw for the U17 Africa Cup of Nations has also been made. Scheduled for 30 March to 19 April 2025 in Morocco, this edition will be crucial, as it will qualify 10 African teams for the U17 World Cup in Qatar (5 to 27 November). Another first.

The U17 AFCON groups

• Group A: Morocco, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia
• Group B: Burkina Faso, UNIFFAC 1, South Africa, Egypt
• Group C: Senegal, Gambia, Somalia, Tunisia
• Group D: Mali, Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, UNIFFAC 2

As hosts, Morocco will have to face formidable opponents, while holders Senegal will meet Gambia in an explosive derby.

2025 U20 AFCON: the race to Chile

Finally, the CAF also drew the groups for the U20 AFCON, which will take place in Côte d’Ivoire from 26 April to 18 May 2025. At stake are four places at the U20 World Cup in Chile (27 September - 19 October 2025).

The U20 AFCON groups

• Group A: Côte d’Ivoire, UNIFFAC 2, DR Congo, Ghana, Tanzania
• Group B: Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco
• Group C: Senegal, Zambia, Kenya, Sierra Leone

Côte d’Ivoire will have to contend with tough opponents such as Ghana and DR Congo. Nigeria, for their part, find themselves in a strong group with Egypt, South Africa and Morocco. Holders Senegal have a more manageable group, but will need to live up to their billing as favourites.

With these draws done, the teams now know their route ahead. From the fierce battle for the last CHAN places to the landmark first Women's Futsal AFCON and the chase for U17 and U20 World Cup qualification, African football is gearing up for some intense months. It remains to be seen which nations will seize these opportunities to shine on the continental and global stage.

Malick BAMBA