U-17 AFCON quarter-finals set as Morocco face Cameroon in heavyweight tie
The TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 enters its knockout stage on Sunday, with eight nations now turning their attention from World Cup qualification to the chase for the continental title.
Hosts Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Tanzania all finished top of their groups after an intense first round, while Egypt, Cameroon, Mali and Algeria also advanced to complete the quarter-final line-up.
All eight teams have already secured qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, with Africa’s 10 representatives now confirmed after Mozambique and Uganda won Saturday’s play-offs.
That means Sunday’s quarter-finals will be played with the pressure of World Cup qualification removed, but with the bigger prize of the African title still at stake.
The standout tie will see hosts Morocco face Cameroon at CMVI-T8 at 17:00 local time.
Morocco topped Group A with seven points after going unbeaten in the group stage, showing composure, attacking quality and the ability to manage difficult moments.
They sealed first place with a 2-1 win over Egypt, with Ibrahim Rabat and Ismail El Aoud scoring before Ziad Saoudi pulled one back for the Egyptians.
Cameroon, meanwhile, recovered from an opening defeat by Côte d’Ivoire to finish second in Group B with six points.
The meeting brings together two traditional names in African youth football, with Morocco carrying the expectations of the home crowd and Cameroon likely to pose a strong physical and tactical test.
At the same time, Senegal and Mali will meet in a major West African quarter-final at CMVI-T3.
Senegal finished top of Group D with six points after beating Algeria 2-1 in their final group match.
The Young Lions of Teranga had to come from behind in that game after Ilyes Mekkaoui gave Algeria an early lead, before Cheikh Dieng and Souleymane Faye scored to complete the turnaround.
Mali reached the last eight from Group C after collecting five points and going unbeaten in the group phase.
Their meeting with Senegal is expected to be one of the most tactical contests of the round, with both countries having strong records in youth football and a reputation for producing technically gifted players.
Tanzania, one of the tournament’s most impressive stories so far, will open the quarter-final programme against Algeria at CMVI-T11 at 14:00.
The East Africans topped Group C after producing two strong victories before suffering a narrow defeat in their final group match.
Their campaign has been built on fearless attacking play, organisation and belief, making them one of the revelations of the competition.
Algeria came through a demanding Group D after finishing level on four points with Ghana, eventually taking the automatic qualification place because of their better goal difference.
They have shown resilience throughout the competition, with Yacine Abid emerging as one of their standout players after scoring twice against South Africa in the group stage.
Sunday’s final quarter-final will see Côte d’Ivoire face Egypt at CMVI-T11 at 20:00.
Côte d’Ivoire were one of the most balanced teams in the group stage, finishing unbeaten at the top of Group B with seven points.
They conceded only twice in the group phase and will go into the knockout round with growing confidence.
Egypt finished second in Group A with four points, advancing ahead of Ethiopia on goal difference despite losing 2-1 to Morocco in their final group match.
The young Pharaohs will now have to raise their level against an Ivorian side that has combined defensive solidity with attacking efficiency.
The quarter-finals come immediately after Africa’s full World Cup line-up was completed.
Mozambique beat Ethiopia 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, before Uganda defeated Ghana 8-7 on penalties following a 2-2 thriller to become the 10th and final African qualifier.
They join Morocco, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Tanzania and Algeria at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
For those eight quarter-finalists, however, the focus now switches fully to winning the U-17 AFCON title.
After a group stage marked by late goals, penalty drama, emerging stars and several tight qualification races, the knockout stage promises another step up in quality and intensity.
The winners of Morocco against Cameroon will face the winners of Senegal against Mali in the semi-finals.
The winners of Côte d’Ivoire against Egypt will meet the winners of Tanzania against Algeria.
Both semi-finals will be played at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium on Thursday, 28 May, before the third-place match on 1 June and the final on 2 June.
Quarter-final fixtures
Sunday, 24 May 2026
Tanzania v Algeria
Venue: CMVI-T11
Kick-off: 14:00 local time
Morocco v Cameroon
Venue: CMVI-T8
Kick-off: 17:00 local time
Senegal v Mali
Venue: CMVI-T3
Kick-off: 17:00 local time
Côte d’Ivoire v Egypt
Venue: CMVI-T11
Kick-off: 20:00 local time
Semi-final path
Thursday, 28 May 2026
Winner Morocco/Cameroon v Winner Senegal/Mali
Venue: Moulay El Hassan Stadium
Kick-off: 20:00 local time
Winner Côte d’Ivoire/Egypt v Winner Tanzania/Algeria
Venue: Moulay El Hassan Stadium
Kick-off: 17:00 local time
Africa’s 10 qualified teams for the FIFA U-17 World Cup
Morocco, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Tanzania, Algeria, Mozambique and Uganda