The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially confirmed the 16 nations that will compete in the 2026 Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (U-17 AFCON). The announcement was made on CAF’s official website on Sunday, following Algeria’s 1-0 victory over Egypt at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium, which secured their place in the continental finals.

The tournament is scheduled to take place in Morocco from April 25 to May 15, 2026, and will serve as the primary qualifier for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. The expanded World Cup will feature 48 teams, with the top 10 nations from the AFCON finals earning qualification for the global youth competition.

Qualified Teams for the 2026 U-17 AFCON:

* Algeria

* Angola

* Cameroon

* Côte d’Ivoire

* DR Congo

* Egypt

* Ethiopia

* Ghana

* Guinea-Bissau

* Mali

* Morocco (hosts)

* Mozambique

* Senegal

* South Africa

* Tanzania

* Uganda

Notably, Nigeria will miss the tournament for a second consecutive edition, after the Golden Eaglets were defeated 2-0 by Ghana in the semi-finals of the WAFU Zone B qualifiers in September 2025.