Latest news with #U-17AFCON
Ya Biladi
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
Morocco advances to Afcon U17 semi-finals with 3-1 victory over South Africa
Morocco has qualified for the semi-finals of the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (U-17 AFCON) after defeating South Africa 3-1 in the quarter-finals on Thursday at El Bachir Stadium in Mohammedia. Morocco's goals came from Ismail El Aoud (13th minute) and Ziyad Baha, who scored twice in quick succession (61st and 62nd minutes). Neo Bohloko scored South Africa's lone goal in the 54th minute. In another quarter-final match held Thursday, Burkina Faso thrashed Zambia 6-1 at El Arbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca. The goals for Burkina Faso were scored by Mohamed Fofana (11th minute), Asharaf Tapsoba (penalties in the 21st and 77th minutes, and another goal in the 90th), and Halidou Diakité (58th and 68th minutes). Abel Nyirongo (35th minute) scored Zambia's only goal. The remaining quarter-finals will be played on Friday, with Ivory Coast facing Senegal at the Municipal Stadium in Berrechid, and Tunisia taking on Mali at El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida.
CAF
09-04-2025
- Sport
- CAF
TotalEnergies CAF U-17 AFCON Referees Prepare for the Future
At the heart of the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, a special initiative lit up the behind-the-scenes of the tournament: an open-door session for refereeing held at the Kahrama Centre in Casablanca. During two hours of training, the referees had the opportunity to fine-tune their skills under the watchful eye of Souleymane Waberi, CAF Vice-President and Chairman of the Youth Football Committee. On a pitch equipped with eight cameras and a control room dedicated to VAR, the session offered a deep dive into the meticulous work performed by officials ahead of the quarter-final. In a highly technical setting, reflecting the quality of infrastructure provided by Morocco, the 45 referees involved in the competition (including 10 VAR officials) gathered for a moment of sharing, demonstration, and refinement. The session was carefully divided into areas: one for physical recovery for referees who had officiated the previous day, another for assistant referees, and a third for VAR-specific work. The objectives were clear: to improve positioning, perfect decision-making in the penalty area — described as the most dangerous zone by Désiré Noumandiez Doué, Chairman of CAF's Referees Committee — and to enhance VAR review times, which are still sometimes considered too long. Preparing the Next Generation Today For Souleymane Waberi, this session fully embodies CAF's philosophy regarding youth football: creating an environment conducive to learning, expressing talent, and preparing for international competitions. 'When young people have pitches like this, it's a celebration,' he said after the first phase of the tournament, referring to the quality of the spectacle. 'Lots of goals are being scored — beautiful goals. It's great for the young players and for the development of our football in Africa.' The stakes are even higher this year, as the U-17 AFCON is a qualifying tournament for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, with, for the first time, 10 African teams expected to participate. For Désiré Noumandiez Doué, that means a rigorous selection process based on technical ability, youth, and the capacity to adapt to fast-paced and unpredictable matches: 'We prefer to have young referees in a youth setting. It helps them understand the game better, react quicker, and connect more easily with the players.' During this session, a practice match with a local team was included to simulate live match conditions, adjust assistant referees' viewing angles, work on real-time VAR procedures, and strengthen communication among all parts of the officiating team. 'We noticed some weaknesses in concentration and positioning. Women Referees: The Dawn of a New Era Among the 45 officials selected for this tournament, 13 are women — a first that symbolises the deep transformation of the African refereeing landscape. 'It's a strong signal to women's football,' says Doué. 'You've all seen how the women have performed on the different pitches. They're making their mark. Hats off to them.' Their presence is the result of a clear gender-focused approach, as well as years of dedicated work to give them confidence, tools, and responsibilities. 'It allows women to flourish more, without hesitation, especially in what has traditionally been a male-dominated environment,' Doué added. One inspiring figure is Senegalese referee Tabara Mbodji, who represents this rising generation. 'The U-17 Africa Cup of Nations is a well-structured competition where we get to use VAR in a practical setting. You can feel that CAF believes in us. It pushes us to aim higher, to target the top competitions.' For Tabara, the goal is clear: 'I want to prove that we belong — not just in Africa but globally.' Female participation is no longer just a quota — it's becoming a driving force for transformation. At the Casablanca workshops, the women referees received the same feedback, participated in the same drills, and analysed the same VAR sequences as their male counterparts. Eyes on the Future This open-door day in Casablanca showcased the evolution underway in African refereeing. It is no longer afraid to innovate, it trusts in youth, includes women as key players in its development, and prepares diligently to meet the demands of high-level football. With Morocco's top-tier infrastructure — praised by Waberi as 'one of the countries this year to have developed high-quality facilities' — the U-17 AFCON is becoming an open-air laboratory of excellence. In this spirit, African refereeing is equipping itself to support the rise of youth football on the continent and to lay the foundations for a more prominent presence on the global stage. As Waberi summed it up: 'This year, Africa is going far — very far. And refereeing must go with it.'
CAF
28-01-2025
- Sport
- CAF
CAF Executive Committee Approves Match Calendar of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 and additional CAF Competitions
The Confédération Africaine de Football ('CAF') Executive Committee ('EXCO') met on Monday, 27 January 2025 in Rabat, Morocco, chaired by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe. The Executive Committee received a detailed update on the preparations of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations ('AFCON'), Morocco 2025. The Executive Committee approved the match calendar for the competition. Six cities and nine stadiums have been selected for Africa's flagship football tournament, which will run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026. They are Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech, Fes, and Tangier. The EXCO also received an update on the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship ('CHAN'), Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2024. The Competition will now kick-off on Saturday, 02 August and the Final will be played on 30 August 2025. Women Futsal Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025: EXCO approved the dates for the Women Futsal Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025. The opening match will be on Tuesday, 22 April 2025 and final match will be played on Wednesday, 30 April 2025. Two finalists in the competition will qualify for the FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup in Philippines in November/December 2025. TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations ('U-17 AFCON'), Morocco 2025 The Executive Committee approved the new format of the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations ('U-17 AFCON') Morocco 2025 qualifiers increasing the number of participating teams from 12 to 16. Opening of Bidding Process for Competitions: The CAF Executive Committee resolved to open the bidding process for the following competitions: The Women Champions League 2025, 2026 and 2027 The TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations ('U-17 AFCON 2026, 2027 and 2028 The TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations ('U-20 AFCON') 2027, 2029 and 2031 The Executive Committee also received a briefing on the recently held CAF GIFT U17 Football Tournament for Girls that was staged in Tanzania earlier this year. Further Enquiries: communications@ CAF | Communication Department
