MATCH FACTS: Egypt and Angola battle for a place at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2025
Egypt and Angola face off in battle for a place at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2025 in Qatar later this year when they meet in a play-off encounter at the Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida on Saturday (kick-off 19:00 local time / 16:00 GMT).
Egypt finished third in Group B in the pool phase at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025, while Angola were the third-placed side in Group D. Both missed out on the quarter-finals of the continental championship, but can go home with some consolation by reaching the World Cup.
Egypt and Angola will meet for the first time at TotalEnergies CAF U17 AFCON.
Egypt will face a fourth different Southern African opponent at the continental finals. Their record against COSAFA teams reads P3 W2 L1.
All of Egypt’s previous clashes against Southern African teams were in the group stages. They defeated two hosts in Botswana (2-0) in 1997 and Eswatini (1-0) in 2003.
Angola are facing North African opponents for the first time at the finals.
Egypt U17 national team coach Ahmed El Kass faced Angola with the senior Egyptian national team at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, South Africa 1996 in their opening group game. He scored a brace in a 2-1 win.
EGYPT FACTS
· Egypt began their 2025 campaign with successive losses against South Africa (4-3) and Burkina Faso (2-1) before a 2-1 victory over Cameroon in their final game.
· Victory over Cameroon in their final game in Group B allowed Egypt to finish third and qualify for the World Cup play-off.
· Egypt’s win against Cameroon ended a run of four successive losses at the finals. It was their first win since a 2-1 triumph over Senegal in their opening game in 2011.
· Egypt have conceded a goal in each of their last eight games at the finals. Their last clean-sheet was in a 0-0 draw against Sierra Leone in their final group game in 2003.
· Beyond the group stages at the finals, Egypt have played four games. Their record reads W2 L2.
· All of Egypt’s knockout games at the finals have been decided in open play. They won their semi-final and final in 1997, both by 1-0 scorelines against Ethiopia and Mali respectively. In 2003 they lost in the semi-finals and third-place play-off to Cameroon (2-1) and Nigeria (3-1).
· Victory for Egypt will see them reach the FIFA U17 World Cup for a second time, along with 1997.
ANGOLA FACTS
· Angola began their Group D campaign with a 2-1 loss to Mali and then drew 0-0 with Cote d’Ivoire before registering their biggest ever win at the finals a 6-1 triumph over Central African Republic.
· Angola, participating at their fifth finals, were eliminated at the group stage for a fourth time, along with 1997, 1999 and 2017. Their best previous finish was third in 2019.
· Angola conceded just three goals in the group stages, the joint fewest they have let in at the finals along with 2019.
· Angola have scored seven goals at the current finals, the most they have scored in a single edition in the group stages.
· The seven goals Angola have scored at the current finals are the joint most they have netted at a single edition along with 2009, when they also scored seven.
· Should Angola score in the play-off they will have netted in three successive games at the finals for the first time since scoring in all three of their group matches in 2017.
· Angola have played two games beyond the group stages previously. In 2019 they lost their semi-final against Cameroon after the game ended 0-0 and they were defeated 4-3 on penalties. They then lost in the play-off for third against Nigeria, going down 2-1.
· Their only penalty shoot-out to date was their loss to Cameroon in 2019.
· Victory for Angola will take them to the FIFA U17 World Cup for the second time after their previous qualification in 2019.