At the end of the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies Algeria 2023 U17 Africa Cup of Nations, this Wednesday, May 11, the four representatives of Africa at the next FIFA U-17 World Cup are finally known.
Senegal, Burkina Faso, Morocco and Mali will fly the continent’s flag at the worlds later this year, having reached the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations.
The AFCON U17 semi-finals will be played on Sunday May 14, 2023.
Senegal will face Burkina Faso at 4 p.m GMT at the Stade du 19 mai 1956 in Annaba, while Morocco will play against Mali at 7 p.m GMT at Chadid Hamlaoui Stadium in Constantine.
Among the four nations, Mali are the most experienced at the FIFA U-17 World Cup having qualified five times previously. This is therefore their sixth qualification.
The Malians had their best performance in 2015 when they reached the final, losing to African rivals, Nigeria. Their last qualification dates back to 2017 in India where they finished fourth. They reached the quarter-finals in 1997 and 2001 and exited the group stage in 1999.
Burkina Faso returns to the world stage after a long absence. Their last qualification was in 2011. This will also be Morocco’s second participation in the FIFA U-17 World Cup after their debut in 2013.
After their first appearance in 2019 where they reached the round of 16 and lost 2-1 against Spain in the round of 16, Senegal will play their second World Cup.
The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023 will be the 19th edition of the biennial international tournament for men’s youth football. It will be held from November 10 to December 2, 2023.
After discussions between the Peruvian Football Federation and FIFA over the suitability of hosting Peru due to its infrastructure flaws, Peru withdrew as hosts on April 3. FIFA immediately announced the opening of a tender for another host country.