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The stage is set for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as teams wait for the draw on Thursday at 1:25 p.m. Moroccan time in Cairo, Egypt.
Fans can catch the action live on CAF TV and former Mali international Adama Coulibaly and ex-Senegal star Souleymane Camara will act as draw assistants.
The competition is scheduled to take place in Cote d’Ivoire from April 26 to May 18, and it will see 13 nations battle for glory. The teams will be divided into three Groups (A, B and C), with Group A containing five teams and Groups B and C four sides each.
Cote d’Ivoire takes the top spot in Group A as the host nation, while the rest will be placed based on the last U20 AFCON ranking.
Nigeria finished third in Egypt in 2023 and will be in B1. Title holders Senegal take C1, while the identity of the nations that will be placed in D1 is yet to be determined after FIFA suspended the Republic of Congo.
The top two teams from each group go straight to the quarter-finals along with the two best third-placed sides.
Cote d’Ivoire will welcome Morocco, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia
Morocco did not participate in the 2023 U20 AFCON in Egypt. They had qualified for the tournament but withdrew before it started due to a dispute over travel arrangements to Algeria, where their group-stage matches were set to take place.
This means Morocco missed out on the chance to compete for the title and qualify for the U20 World Cup.
