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CAF Confirms Draw Procedures for FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026 African Qualifiers
The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has confirmed the draw procedures for the African qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026, with 31 teams set to battle for just four places at the global finals.
The draw will be conducted in Rabat, Morocco on Saturday, 10 January 2026, starting at 13:00 local time (12:00 GMT / 14:00 Cairo) and will be broadcast live on CAF TV.
Africa’s qualification campaign will be played over three home-and-away knockout rounds, with the four teams emerging victorious from the final round earning qualification for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which Morocco will host in 2026.
Nigeria Exempted from First Round
A total of 31 CAF Member Associations will take part in the qualifiers. Nigeria, the continent’s top-ranked side based on performances over the last five editions of the competition, have been granted automatic passage into the Second Round.
The remaining 30 teams have been ranked and distributed into four draw pots, with geographic considerations applied to limit long-distance travel.
Pot 1 (Highest ranked – WAFU A, WAFU B & UNIFFAC):
Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal
Pot 2 (Lowest ranked – WAFU A, WAFU B & UNIFFAC):
Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, Niger, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tunisia
Pot 3 (Highest ranked – COSAFA, CECAFA & UNIFFAC):
Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia
Pot 4 (Lowest ranked – COSAFA, CECAFA & UNIFFAC):
Botswana, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Zimbabwe
Qualification Format
The qualifiers will begin with a First Round involving 30 teams competing in 15 two-legged ties. The winners will progress to the Second Round, where they will be joined by Nigeria.
From the Second Round, eight teams will advance to the Third and final qualifying round. The four winners at this stage will secure Africa’s tickets to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026.
First Round Draw Procedure
For the First Round, CAF has designed a structured draw system that balances rankings and geography:
The first team drawn from Pot 2 will face the first team drawn from Pot 1, with the second leg played at the home of the second team drawn. This process will be repeated seven times.
The first team drawn from Pot 4 will face the first team drawn from Pot 3, with the second leg played at the home of the second team drawn. This process will be repeated eight times.
Second and Third Rounds
Second Round fixtures are pre-determined according to the competition bracket. Some First Round winners will face Nigeria, while others will be paired against fellow First Round winners.
All Second Round ties will also be played over two legs, with the eight winners progressing to the decisive Third Round. The final round will feature four two-legged ties, with the winners qualifying directly for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026.
With the draw imminent, Africa’s young talents will soon know the path they must navigate in pursuit of a place on the world stage.
