UFOA-A U-17 Championship: Draw places eight teams into two groups

Two qualification spots for the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations up for grabs from September 7 to 20, 2026 in Senegal

Africa Today at 18:49

Add Foot Africa on Google

UFOA-A U-17 Championship: Draw places eight teams into two groups

The draw for the UFOA-A U-17 Championship, which serves as a qualifier for the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations , was held on Thursday at the Senegalese Football Federation headquarters in Dakar. Now, the eight West African (A) teams know their group stage opponents.

The tournament will take place in Senegal from September 7 to 20, 2026. The group stage is split into two groups: Group A features Mauritania, Gambia, Sierra Leone, and host nation Senegal. Group B includes Mali, Liberia, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. Each team will play three group matches, with the top two from each group advancing to the semifinals and then the final.

🚨 Mali discover their group for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers via the UFOA-U17 tournament 🇲🇱

Mali are drawn alongside:

Guinea 🇬🇳
Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼
Liberia 🇱🇷

The tournament will be held in Senegal starting September 7 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/e3JJEWSR4m
— Les Aigles Du Mali 🇲🇱🦅 (@AiglesDuMali_) August 20, 2026

Two tickets to the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations on the line

The aim of the tournament is clear: only the two teams that reach the final will secure qualification for the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations. Based on recent results, Senegal and Mali enter the competition as the top favorites, having dominated previous editions and now looking to extend their supremacy and clinch the two coveted qualification spots.