MATCH FACTS: Somalia meet Tunisia in Group C at TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025
Somalia and Tunisia open their Group C campaign at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025 with a clash at the Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida on Tuesday (kick-off 17:00 local time / GMT).
This is the first meeting between Somalia and Tunisia at the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 AFCON.
Somalia, in their debut appearance in 2023, faced North African opponents in the form of their hosts Algeria in their opening group game, losing 2-0. Tunisia are facing a team from East Africa at the finals for the first time.
This is Somalia’s fourth game at the finals and Tunisia are the fourth different team they are up against, having faced Algeria, Congo and Senegal in the 2023 edition.
Tunisia are playing their 14th game at the finals and will see Somalia become the 10th different nation they will be facing along with Botswana, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Togo.
SOMALIA FACTS
· Somalia are appearing at their second finals and making a second appearance in a row having debuted at the 2023 tournament in Algeria.
· Somalia were eliminated at the Group stages in their debut appearance two years ago. They opened up their debut campaign in 2023 with a 2-0 loss against hosts Algeria and then drew 1-1 with Congo, Diini Mohamed scoring their first ever goal at the tournament in the 32nd minute. They then lost their final group game 3-0 to eventual champions Senegal.
· In all three of their previous games, Somalia have only taken the lead once, which was in their second pool fixture in 2023 against Congo. Despite going in front in the 32nd minute, they drew the game 1-1.
· Somalia came through the CECAFA qualifying tournament, despite losing their first group game 3-0 to South Sudan. They won against Sudan 1-0 in their second fixture. Despite losing to Uganda 4-1 in the semi-finals, a penalty shoot-out win over South Sudan in the play-off for third after a 2-2 draw saw them qualify.
· Somalia were champions of the CECAFA Under-17 Championship in 2022 when they beat South Sudan 2-1 in the final.
TUNISIA FACTS
· Tunisia appeared at the inaugural tournament in 1995. This is their fourth appearance at the finals and first since 2013 when Morocco were previously hosts.
· They were eliminated in the group stages on their tournament debut in 1995, while they finished fourth in 2007 and third in 2013.
· Tunisia’s record in their opening game at the finals reads P3 W2 D1 L0. They registered 2-1 and 3-0 wins over Mozambique in 1995 and Botswana in 2013 respectively. In between they drew 0-0 with Gabon in 2007.
· Tunisia are undefeated in their last six group games at the finals (W3 D3), they have gone undefeated in the group stages at their last two finals appearances in 2007 and 2013.
· In their last tournament appearance in 2013, Tunisia began their group campaign with successive wins over Botswana 3-1 and Gabon 4-2, before drawing with hosts Morocco 1-1. They then lost to Nigeria 4-2 in the semi-finals and defeated Morocco on penalties in the third place play-off match after an initial 1-1 draw.
· Tunisia’s last group stage loss was in their final pool game in 1995, a 7-0 defeat against Ghana.
· Tunisia qualified for the finals when they finished third in the 2024 UNAF U17 tournament. They began with successive wins over Algeria (1-0) and Libya (2-1), before drawing with Morocco (2-2). They lost their final game to Egypt (3-2) but finished in third and secured their qualification.
· Anisse Saidi, based at San Diego FC in the United States, was their top scorer in qualifying with four goals.