By Dayo Awoniyi
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will conduct a fresh draw for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Sunday, April 13, following changes in tournament logistics and team line-ups.
The draw, which will take place at 3:00 p.m. local time at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters, comes after CAF shifted hosting duties from Côte d’Ivoire to Egypt. The reshuffle also includes changes to the list of qualified teams.
The Flying Eagles of Nigeria, one of Africa’s most successful youth sides, will learn their new group-stage opponents during the live-streamed event, which will be broadcast on ON Time Sports channels and CAF TV.
CAF’s Executive Committee opted to revise the draw after Central African Republic replaced suspended Congo, and second- and third-placed teams in the UNAF qualifiers were added to fill two vacant spots.
Under the revised format, host nation Egypt will now lead Group A, rather than their original placement in Group B. The tournament will run from April 27 to May 18.
With new matchups on the horizon, Nigeria will be hoping for a favorable group as they aim to make a strong showing in the continental youth tournament.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
