Wednesday February 12, 2025
Somalia’s U-17 national team battles against Congo during their historic 1-1 draw at the 2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in May, securing their first-ever point at the continental tournament. CREDIT / SFFTV
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s rising football generation will take another major step on February 13, when the draw for the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 is held at CAF headquarters in Cairo at 13:45 local time (11:45 GMT).
For a nation where political and security challenges have long shaped football, this moment represents Somalia’s growing presence in African football. The team, which secured qualification by finishing third in the CECAFA U-17 Zonal Qualifiers, will be making its second consecutive appearance at AFCON.
A place in Morocco 2025 also puts Somalia within touching distance of an even bigger prize: qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, where a record 10 African teams will participate from November 5-27, 2025.
Somalia’s U-17 squad is becoming a symbol of resurgence in a footballing culture that dates back to the 1940s, when the sport was intertwined with the nationalist movement against colonial rule. The Somali Football Federation (SFF) was established in 1951, but the country’s ambitions were derailed by decades of instability.
That began to change in 2022, when Somalia’s U-17 side won its first-ever CECAFA U-17 Championship, beating South Sudan 3-1 in the final. The victory earned them a historic debut at the 2023 U-17 AFCON in Algeria. Despite a group-stage exit in their AFCON debut, the young Blue Stars earned a point in a competitive tournament, a milestone that coach Nur Mohamed Amin described as “a proud moment for Somali football.” The team’s performance was widely celebrated, with Somali fans and football officials seeing it as a step toward re-establishing the country’s presence in continental football.
The 2025 U-17 AFCON, set to run from March 30 to April 19, will feature an expanded field of 16 teams. Four teams have already been pre-seeded based on their 2023 performances:
- Morocco (Host) – Automatically placed in Group A1.
- Senegal (Defending Champions) – Assigned C1.
- Burkina Faso (Third Place in 2023) – Assigned B1.
- Mali (Fourth Place in 2023) – Assigned D1.
The remaining 12 teams, including Somalia, will be drawn from four pots to determine their group placements.
- Pot 1: Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Gambia, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, UNIFFAC 1, UNIFFAC 2, Zambia.
- Pots 2-4: Will determine group slots (A2-D4).
The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, automatically securing a place at the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The final two World Cup slots will be contested in a playoff among the third-placed teams.
Qualified Teams for U-17 AFCON 2025
- Morocco (Host)
- Angola
- Burkina Faso
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Egypt
- Gambia
- Mali
- Senegal
- Somalia
- South Africa
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- UNIFFAC 1* (TBD)
- UNIFFAC 2* (TBD)
- Zambia
CAF has confirmed that former Mali international Adama Coulibaly and Senegalese legend Souleymane Camara will assist with the live draw, broadcast on CAF TV.
For Somalia, participation in back-to-back AFCON tournaments signals a new era for youth football, where talent development and international exposure could pave the way for a brighter footballing future.
Expectations are high, and Somali fans—both domestically and across the global diaspora—will be watching closely to see who their young Blue Stars will face on Africa’s biggest U-17 stage.
