The Confederation of African Football has confirmed the 16 nations set to compete at the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations — with Nigeria absent for the second straight edition.
The Golden Eaglets failed to qualify after a 2-0 semi-final loss to Ghana in the WAFU Zone B qualifiers held in September 2025, ending their hopes of making the continental tournament.
The competition will take place in Morocco from April 25 to May 15, 2026, and will double as Africa’s qualification pathway for the expanded 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, where the top 10 teams will secure slots.
Algeria sealed the final ticket with a 1-0 victory over Egypt, completing the lineup of participating countries.
Qualified teams include Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Morocco (hosts), Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.
CAF’s qualification format spans six regional zones, each producing representatives for the tournament.