Cameroon and Mali are the former champions who will face off in the same group at the TotalEnergies Under-17 AFCON. The draw for the tournament to be held in Algeria was released recently, and has some exciting group matches lined up. If you are a sports betting enthusiast, this tournament will allow you to test your knowledge of African football. Let’s take a look at the groups.
U17 Afcon 2023 Groups
Group A
Algeria, the tournament’s host, is in Group A with Senegal, Congo, and Somalia. The Group A matches will be played at the capital city of Algiers, where Algeria will hope the support of home fans can help them progress to the tournament’s next stage.
Group B
Group B includes two-time winners Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa, and Zambia. All Group B matches will be played in the city of Constantine.
Nigeria won the U17 AFCON title in 2001 and 2007. They were the runners-up in 1995 and 2013 and finished third in 2003. Additionally, the Super Eaglets finished fourth twice in 2015 and 2019.
South Africa’s best finish was runners-up in the 2015 tournament, while Morocco managed a fourth-place finish in the 2013 tournament, which they hosted.
Group C
This is a tough group as it brings together two two-time winners, Mali and Cameroon. The other nations in this group are former champions Burkina Faso and South Sudan, who are debutants. This group’s matches will be played in the city of Annaba.
Cameroon is the defending champions after winning the tournament in 2019 in Tanzania. The African soccer giants also won the tournament in 2003. Also, the Cameroon camp had to deal with age-cheating claims during the qualifiers. Nonetheless, they are undoubtedly the favorites for bettors on soccer betting platforms like Betway to retain the title.
Mali is also a two-time winner of the tournament, having won the tournament in 2015 and 2017. They were also the runners-up in the 1997 tournament. Burkina Faso won the tournament in 2011
When Was The Draw?
CAF Director of competitions Khaed Nasser conducted the tournament’s draw at Cercle National de l’Armee in Algiers, Algeria, on Wednesday, February 01. The draw was conducted after the conclusion of the qualifiers, which took place across the continent.
Mr. Khaed was helped by African football legends Herita Ilunga of DR Congo and Ibrahim Bekakchi of Algeria to conduct the draw. Football betting fans on Betway must have followed this draw keenly as they prepare their wagering strategies for the tournament.
When Is The U17 AFCON Tournament?
The U17 African Cup of Nations will start on April 29 and end on May 19. Furthermore, Under-17 football fans will be glad to see the tournament’s return after a brief break.
They will play the matches in three stadiums in three cities as outlined below:
- Algiers – Nelson Mandela Stadium
- Annaba – May 19, 1956, Stadium
- Constantine- Chahid Hamlaoui Stadium
This is an important tournament for the participants because the top four will qualify for the World Cup to be played later in the year.
