The full schedule for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has been released, with Kenya’s Rising Stars set to participate in the tournament for the first time in over 50 years.
On March 24, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) officially unveiled the fixture list for the tournament, set to take place in April and May. However, the announcement came just days before Ivory Coast made a surprise decision to withdraw as hosts. As a result, CAF awarded Egypt the hosting rights for the second consecutive edition, having also hosted the 2023 tournament.
Despite the change in venue, it is unlikely that the fixture schedule will be altered, as the group stage draw and seedings were finalized in February.
The tournament is scheduled to run from April 26 to May 18, with 13 teams competing for the title and four spots in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile. The group stage draw produced exciting fixtures, with several former champions set to clash early in the competition.
Nigeria, the most successful team in the history of the tournament, was placed in Group B alongside Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa. The group is expected to be highly competitive, with three former champions vying for quarterfinal qualification.
Group A features Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, and a second team from the UNIFFAC region, making it one of the toughest groups in the tournament.
Kenya’s Rising Stars, making a historic return to the competition after more than five decades, were placed in Group C. They will face Sierra Leone, Zambia, and defending champions Senegal.
The Kenyan squad, led by coach Salim Babu, will begin their campaign on May 1 against Sierra Leone. They will then play Zambia on May 4 before concluding the group stage against Senegal on May 7.
Babu expressed confidence in his team’s chances of progressing to the knockout stage. “We are in a group that can allow us to proceed if we play our cards right. It is not a difficult group, but neither is it an easy one,” he said. “If we can win our first two games, we will be a shoo-in for the quarter-finals, which is our target.”
Complete Fixture List
Group Stage
- April 27 – TBA vs Ghana
- April 27 – TBA vs DR Congo
- April 28 – DR Congo vs TBA
- April 29 – Ghana vs Tanzania
- April 30 – Nigeria vs TBA
- April 30 – South Africa vs Morocco
- May 1 – Senegal vs Zambia
- May 1 – Kenya vs Sierra Leone
- May 2 – Tanzania vs DR Congo
- May 2 – TBA vs Central Africa
- May 3 – TBA vs South Africa
- May 3 – Morocco vs Nigeria
- May 4 – Zambia vs Kenya
- May 4 – Sierra Leone vs Senegal
- May 5 – Central Africa vs Tanzania
- May 5 – DR Congo vs Ghana
- May 6 – Nigeria vs South Africa
- May 6 – TBA vs Morocco
- May 7 – Senegal vs Kenya
- May 7 – Zambia vs Sierra Leone
- May 8 – Ghana vs Central Africa
- May 8 – Tanzania vs TBA
Quarterfinals
- May 11 – 1st Group A vs 3rd Group B/C
- May 11 – 1st Group B vs 2nd Group A
- May 12 – 1st Group C vs 2nd Group B
- May 12 – 2nd Group B vs 2nd Group C
Semifinals
- May 15 – Winner QF1 vs Winner QF4
- May 15 – Winner QF2 vs Winner QF3
Third-Place Playoff
- May 17 – Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2
Final
- May 18 – Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2
