Uganda defeated DR. Congo by 3-0. Uganda represents the growing strength of East African youth football alongside Ethiopia and Tanzania in Morocco.
The TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2026 got off to an exciting start on Wednesday, with commanding victories for Ivory Coast and Uganda, a disciplined performance from Ethiopia, and a hard-fought draw for hosts Morocco in Rabat.
Former champions Ivory Coast set the tone for the tournament with a confident 2-0 victory over Cameroon in the opening match, while Uganda delivered the standout performance of the day, defeating DR Congo 3-0 in Group B to underline their ambitions.
Ivory Coast, winners of the 2013 edition, showed their class in the second half. Nomane Ange broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute before Hubert Yao doubled the lead five minutes later to seal a composed and deserved win over Cameroon.
Debutants Ethiopia also impressed, holding former champions Egypt to a goalless draw in Group A. Their disciplined defensive display frustrated the North Africans throughout the match and earned them a valuable point on their return to the continental stage.
The final Group A fixture saw hosts Morocco held to a 1-1 draw by Tunisia in a closely contested encounter.
Tunisia took the lead in the 27th minute through Yahya Jlidi, capitalizing on one of their few opportunities despite Morocco’s dominance in possession. The hosts responded strongly after the break and equalized in the 76th minute through Ilian Hadid. Despite late pressure from both sides, neither team could find a winner.
The opening day concluded with Uganda’s emphatic 3-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Owen Mukisa opened the scoring in the 37th minute before Nicholas Kawooya doubled the lead just before half-time. Mukisa completed his brace in the 83rd minute to cap a memorable performance for the East Africans.
Uganda’s victory was even more impressive given that they finished the match with 10 players after Travor Mubiru was sent off in the 80th minute. Nevertheless, they held firm to secure all three points.
The result marked a historic milestone for Uganda, who had never before won their opening match at the U-17 AFCON finals.
CECAFA Represented
The CECAFA region is represented at this year’s tournament by Uganda, Ethiopia and Tanzania, highlighting the growing strength of youth football in East Africa. Rwanda, however, is absent from the competition.
Rwanda’s most notable appearance at the U-17 AFCON came in 2011, when the country hosted the tournament, reached the final and finished runners-up to Burkina Faso. That campaign also earned Rwanda its only qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Mali Eye Another Strong Run
Mali Head coach Demba Traoré says his side is determined to uphold the country’s proud tradition and perform exceptionally well at this tournament.
Among the teams yet to begin their campaign is Mali, one of Africa’s most successful nations at youth level.
Head coach Demba Traoré says his side is determined to uphold the country’s proud tradition when they face Angola in their opening match.
Mali’s strong record at U-17 level is the result of years of investment in football academies, structured player development and regular exposure to competitive matches from an early age.
Traoré believes his team will once again be among the tournament’s strongest contenders.
“I want to see a team that plays football, enjoys possession and offers quality play,” Traoré said.
“This is still youth football, and the players must enjoy themselves on the pitch while respecting the values of fair play.”
The 2026 edition is being held in Morocco from May 13 to June 2 and features 16 teams.
With the exception of the opening match, the semi-finals and the final, all matches are being played at the Mohammed VI Football Complex as part of CAF’s centralized “festival-style” format. The approach is designed to create a vibrant tournament atmosphere, improve operational efficiency and support long-term player development across future editions.
The race to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 adds extra significance to every match.
Africa will once again have 10 representatives at the global finals following FIFA’s expansion of the U-17 World Cup to 48 teams. The tournament in Qatar later this year will be the second edition under the expanded format.
The eight quarter-finalists at the U-17 AFCON will qualify automatically for the World Cup, while the remaining two places will be determined through play-off matches involving the four third-placed teams from the group stage.
With Ivory Coast and Uganda making strong starts, and Morocco, Tunisia and Ethiopia showing early promise, the tournament has opened in highly competitive and entertaining fashion.
