HISTORICAL ZONAL U-17 AFCON QUALIFIERS SET FOR TAKE OFF

The qualifiers for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations will for the first time be played on a zonal basis (regional), to determine the seven teams to join host Tanzania for next year’s final tournament.

The decision, one of the key elements among the resolutions of the first ever CAF African Football Symposium in July 2017 in Rabat (Morocco), was approved by the CAF Executive Committee.

The new format is expected to increase participation at the level of teams in the qualifiers, enhanced exposure and competitiveness by getting all involved. Since 1995, an average of 30 teams engaged in the qualifiers, representing about 54 per cent of the CAF membership.

“The response has been great. A total of 49 Member Associations, have confirmed their participation, which is a record compared to the previous years. We will get to see teams that never participated and rarely made an impact at the youth level,” said CAF General Secretary Amr Fahmy.

Each of the six Zonal Unions (CECAFA, COSAFA, UNAF, UNIFFAC, WAFU A, WAFU B) will organise their regional qualifiers featuring teams from the zone. UEFA, through its UEFA ASSIST programme, is supporting the qualifiers.

From mid-July to September, the qualifiers will take off from Mauritius (COSAFA), through Equatorial Guinea (UNIFFAC), Tanzania (CECAFA), Tunisia (UNAF), Senegal (WAFU A) before terminating in Niger (WAFU B).

“The U-17 is the nursery of our competitions and every eligible player must be given the opportunity to participate. We have been preparing for the past months in the areas of logistics, organisation and infrastructure, and I can confidently say, we are ready for the kick off,” he added.

The winner of each zonal competition qualifies for the final tournament, with the exception of the zone of the previous winner, entitled to two slots. Since Mali won the title in 2017, WAFU A will qualify two teams.

Meanwhile, all players selected for the tournament are expected to undergo mandatory Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to determine their eligibility to participate.

In addition, all matches will be streamed live on the CAF website and the digital platforms (Youtube, Facebook, Twitter).

Infantino In Rabat As CAF Mulls 24 – Team AFCON

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is at the head of a pool of global football administrators and stakeholders who are in Rabat, Morocco for a two–day African Football Symposium starting on Tuesday.

The FIFA supremo was received at the Mohamed V International Airport, Casablanca on Monday afternoon by CAF President Ahmad and his two deputies, Kwesi Nyantakyi and Omari Constant Selemani.

CAF insiders hinted thenff.com on Monday that the symposium, which will be followed by a CAF Extra-Ordinary General Assembly on Friday, has been put together to ferment robust new ideas and ideals for the transformation of the African game, and serve as a sort of game –changer that will drive the vision of the new CAF leadership that swept into office four months ago.

CAF President Ahmad and the President of the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football, Fouzi Lekjaa are chief hosts of the symposium taking place at the International Conference Centre, Mohammed VI, Skhirat.

NFF President Amaju Pinnick (like Lekjaa a Member of the CAF Executive Committee), Vice Presidents Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, former NFF General Secretary Musa Amadu and Director of Communications Ademola Olajire are in the Nigeria delegation in Morocco.

Gianni Infantino – FIFA President
photo credit navkolo.me

Thenff.com also learnt that a proposal to increase the number of teams at the Africa Cup of Nations finals from 16 to 24 teams, and switch the finals from January to the summer, is one of the key points to be discussed at the symposium and the extra-ordinary general assembly.

Proponents are hinging their position on a number of positives, including the fact that a 24 –team AFCON finals will mean more money for CAF, more money for the African FAs, involvement of more nations and therefore more fans in the Cup finals, involvement of more stakeholders of the African game and its capacity to propel the development of infrastructure around the African continent as co-hosting of the finals will ultimately be encouraged.