Nine African sides have advanced to the Round of 32 at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, with two intra-African ties guaranteeing at least two quarter-final contenders from the continent. 

Zambia face Mali and Senegal meet Uganda in Friday–Saturday’s first knockout matches, while Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Burkina Faso and Tunisia take on European, Asian and North American opposition.

All kick-off times below are local (Qatar).

All-African ties

• Zambia v Mali – Fri 14 Nov, 15:30, Pitch 8 (Mahmoud Soufi Stadium)
  A heavyweight contest between two familiar African rivals opens the round. Zambia’s attacking edge meets Mali’s tournament know-how in a clash that will send one African side into the last 16.

• Senegal v Uganda – Sat 15 Nov, 15:30, Pitch 7 (Mansour Muftah Stadium)
  Group winners Senegal, inspired by a free-scoring frontline, face a disciplined Uganda who battled through a tight group. Expect high intensity and set-piece intrigue

The other African assignments

• Switzerland v Egypt – Fri 14 Nov, 16:00, Pitch 5 (Khaled Ballan Stadium)
  Egypt carry Africa’s hopes in a European test against compact Switzerland. The young Pharaohs’ transition speed will be key against Swiss organisation.
• USA v Morocco – Fri 14 Nov, 18:45, Pitch 7 (Mansour Muftah Stadium)
  Hosts of AFCON 2025 at senior level, Morocco’s U-17s now seek a statement win against a well-drilled USA. Defensive concentration will be crucial against American pressing.

• Japan v South Africa – Sat 15 Nov, 16:30, Pitch 3 (Bader Bilal Stadium)
  South Africa’s resilience is rewarded with a meeting against Japan’s technical, high-tempo side. Bafana Bafana’s counter-attacking threat could decide it.

• Germany v Burkina Faso – Sat 15 Nov, 17:45, Pitch 2 (Ibrahim Khalfan Stadium)
  Burkina Faso earned their knockout berth with grit and big-moment goals. Germany provide elite opposition, but the Stallions have shown they can disrupt favourites.

• Austria v Tunisia – Sat 15 Nov, 18:45, Pitch 5 (Khaled Ballan Stadium)
  Tunisia must unlock a disciplined Austria in a matchup likely to hinge on fine margins. Game management and set pieces look pivotal.

Why it matters for Africa

With nine representatives in the last 32 and two all-African fixtures, the continent is guaranteed at least two teams in the Round of 16.

The bracket also offers opportunities for further progress should Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Burkina Faso and Tunisia navigate their varied tests against European and Asian opponents.

The knockout phase follows a performance-based seeding from the group stage.

Teams from the same group cannot meet in this round; where necessary, fixtures are adjusted to avoid repeats.

The winners advance to the last 16 as the race to Doha’s final accelerates.

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The FIFA Referees Committee has officially announced the roster of match officials who will take charge of games at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025, scheduled to hold from October 17 to November 8.

A total of 54 officials — comprising 18 referees and 36 assistant referees — from 36 different countries have been selected for the prestigious youth tournament.

However, once again, no Nigerian referee or assistant referee is among the six African officials listed, continuing a concerning trend of absence at FIFA women’s tournaments.

“It is always exciting for me when announcements such as this one are made, but this one is even more special than normal,” said Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee. “This year’s tournament is the first of the annual competitions to be played in Morocco over the next five years, and the first edition with 24 participating teams.”

Collina emphasised the importance of both players and officials gaining international exposure: “It is vital for young players to be given the opportunity to test themselves against the very best in the world in their age category.

“The same goes for match officials — this is an invaluable chance to learn, improve and grow in their chosen fields, all for the good of the game.”

One of the innovations for this edition will be the continued use of the Football Video Support (FVS) system — a cost-effective alternative to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

Unlike VAR, FVS does not employ dedicated video match officials or automatically review every critical incident. Instead, team head coaches can request limited reviews during match-changing moments such as goals, penalties, direct red cards, or mistaken identity. Players may also advise their coaches to initiate a review.

FIFA’s Head of Women’s Refereeing, Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb, highlighted the growing impact of the tournament and its significance for women’s football.

“Morocco will be the home of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the next five years. The country shows such a passion for women’s football that we can’t wait for the tournament to start.

More diversity equals more opportunities for match officials to show just how much they are in tune with the game and its expectations.”

The 2025 edition marks a historic shift in the competition’s format, expanding the field to 24 teams for the first time — a move aimed at increasing global participation and development opportunities in women’s football.

While the expansion promises more opportunities for emerging footballing nations and officials, Nigeria’s continued absence from the officiating cadre raises fresh questions about the country’s investment in referee development at the international level, particularly in the women’s game.

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Africa’s ten representatives for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 have been confirmed, following the conclusion of the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) play-offs on Saturday.

Egypt and Uganda claimed the final two African slots for the global tournament after crucial wins in the play-off round on Saturday, joining Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia as the continent’s flagbearers at the world stage.

The expanded tournament – the largest in the history of the U-17 World Cup – will feature 48 teams for the first time and will be held from 3 to 27 November 2025 in Qatar.

Uganda made history by qualifying for their maiden U-17 World Cup after a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over The Gambia.

After conceding in under a minute, goals from James Bogere in the 13th and 33rd minutes turned the tide for the East Africans, who held firm to book a debut appearance on the world stage.

Later in the day, hosts Egypt delighted home fans with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Angola.

A deflected strike from Abdel Aziz El Zoghby and a second-half effort by Hamza Mohamed Abdel Karim sealed the ticket for the Pharaohs, despite Angola pulling one back late in the game.

The other eight African nations had already qualified by progressing to the knockout stages of the U-17 AFCON.

Among them are Senegal, defending African champions at youth level, and Côte d’Ivoire, who impressed with a resounding 4-2 win over Mali during the group stage.

Tunisia and South Africa also secured their places early after finishing strongly in their respective groups, while traditional powerhouses Morocco and Zambia return to the global stage with high expectations.

The U-17 World Cup has been a proving ground for future superstars including Michael Essien and Sammy Kuffuor, Nwankwo Kanu, Seydou Keita and Mahamadou Diarra.

Now, Africa’s new generation of talent will look to shine on the world stage and possibly follow in their illustrious footsteps.

With the continent’s ten teams now confirmed, the focus shifts to preparations and the final draw, as Africa prepares to challenge for global glory in Doha later this year.

-CAF

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