Algeria qualify for TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 finals
Morocco finished in top spot in the UNAF qualifiers for the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2026 finals with a perfect campaign in Benghazi, Libya, while Algeria defeated Egypt 1-0 at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium to seal their place in the continental finals.
The Algerians join defending champions Morocco and Egypt as the three representatives of the North African Football Union at the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 AFCON 2026.
The only goal of the match was scored by Abderrahmane Zaoui in the 47th minute, earning Algeria three valuable points.
The result took Algeria to seven points overall, following victories over Libya in the opening round and Egypt on the final day, a draw against Tunisia in the fourth round, and a defeat to Morocco in the second round.
Algeria finished the qualifiers in second place behind leaders Morocco, who ended with 12 points. Egypt placed third with six points, while Tunisia were fourth on four points. Libya finished fifth and bottom of the standings without a point.
In the other match, Morocco defeated Libya 3-1 to wrap up the qualifying tournament with a fourth consecutive victory and confirm themselves as champions. Tunisia were not in action on the final matchday.
Morocco’s three goals were scored by Adnane Boujouffi, who netted twice in the 2nd and 55th minutes, and Adam Bougazir, who scored in the 44th minute.
Despite Libya’s early elimination from the race for qualification, the tournament remains a historic moment for Libyan football. It was the first time the country hosted a qualification tournament for the North African Football Union, underlining the confidence in Libya’s ability to stage further international competitions.
A total of 16 teams have now qualified for the continental finals: Angola, Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.
The teams that finish in the top 10 at the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 AFCON will qualify for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, which is scheduled to take place in November and will feature 48 teams.