U-20 Africa Cup of Nations

U-20 Africa Cup of Nations
Organising body	CAF
Founded	1979
Region	Africa
Number of teams	12
Current champions	Ghana ; (4th title)
Most successful team(s)	Nigeria ; (7 titles)
	2023 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations

The U-20 Africa Cup of Nations also called TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsoring reason (previously known as the African Youth Championship or the African U-20 Championship) is the main international youth football competition for CAF nations, and is competed for by under 20 year olds. It is held every two years with the top 4 teams qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

History

File:U20-Africa-Cup-of-Nations.png

The logo under sponsoring of Total

From 1979 until 1989, the African representatives were determined purely on a home and away qualifying basis without a final tournament, with the African champions determined through the same qualification. Since 1991 there has been a qualifying stage followed by a final tournament played by 8 teams in a chosen country.

On 6 August 2015, the CAF Executive Committee decided to change the name of the tournament from the African Youth Championship to the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, similar to the senior's version, Africa Cup of Nations.^[1]

In July 2016, Total has secured an eight-year sponsorship package from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to support 10 of its principal competitions, including the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Champions League, renamed Total U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.^[2]

Tournament summary

African U-21 Qualifying for World Cup

Edition	Year	Host nation	Qualification 1			Qualification 2			World Cup host
Edition	Year	Host nation	To World Cup	Score	Not to World Cup	To World Cup	Score	Not to World Cup	World Cup host
1	1977 Details^[3]	Home sites	Morocco	1–0	Guinea	Ivory Coast	0–1	Egypt	Tunisia
1	1977 Details^[3]	Home sites	Morocco	3–0	Guinea	Ivory Coast	3–2 (abd)	Egypt	Tunisia

African U-21 Cup of Nations

Edition	Year	Host nation	Final			Third Place
Edition	Year	Host nation	Champion	Score	Second Place	Third Place
2	1979 Details	Home sites	Algeria	2–1	Guinea	Ethiopia	Nigeria
2	1979 Details	Home sites	Algeria	2–3	Guinea	Ethiopia	Nigeria
3	1981 Details	Home sites	Egypt	2–0	Cameroon	Algeria	Nigeria
3	1981 Details	Home sites	Egypt	1–1	Cameroon	Algeria	Nigeria
4	1983 Details	Home sites	Nigeria	2–2	Ivory Coast	Algeria	Guinea
4	1983 Details	Home sites	Nigeria	2–1	Ivory Coast	Algeria	Guinea
5	1985 Details	Home sites	Nigeria	1–1	Tunisia	Ivory Coast	Ethiopia
5	1985 Details	Home sites	Nigeria	2–1	Tunisia	Ivory Coast	Ethiopia
6	1987 Details	Home sites	Nigeria	2–1	Togo	Morocco	Somalia
6	1987 Details	Home sites	Nigeria	3–0	Togo	Morocco	Somalia
7	1989 Details	Home sites	Nigeria	2–0	Mali	Algeria	Ivory Coast
7	1989 Details	Home sites	Nigeria	2–1	Mali	Algeria	Ivory Coast

African U-21 Championship

Edition	Year	Host nation	Final			Third Place Match
Edition	Year	Host nation	Champion	Score	Second Place	Third Place	Score	Fourth Place
8	1991 Details	Egypt	Egypt	2–1	Ivory Coast	Ghana	2–0	Zambia
9	1993 Details	Mauritius	Ghana	2–0	Cameroon	Egypt	3–0	Ethiopia
10	1995 Details	Nigeria	Cameroon	4–0	Burundi	Nigeria	1–0	Mali
11	1997 Details	Morocco	Morocco	1–0	South Africa	Ivory Coast	2–0	Ghana
12	1999 Details	Ghana	Ghana	1–0	Nigeria	Cameroon	2–1	Zambia
13	2001 Details	Ethiopia	Angola	2–0	Ghana	Egypt	2–0	Ethiopia

African U-20 Championship

Edition	Year	Host nation	Final			Third Place Match
Edition	Year	Host nation	Champion	Score	Second Place	Third Place	Score	Fourth Place
14	2003 Details	Burkina Faso	Egypt	4–3 (a.e.t.)	Ivory Coast	Mali	1–1 (5–4 p)	Burkina Faso
15	2005 Details	Benin	Nigeria	2–0	Egypt	Benin	1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–3 p)	Morocco
16	2007 Details	Republic of the Congo	Congo	1–0	Nigeria	Gambia	3–1	Zambia
17	2009 Details	Rwanda	Ghana	2–0	Cameroon	Nigeria	2–1	South Africa
18	2011^[4] Details	South Africa	Nigeria	3–2 (a.e.t.)	Cameroon	Egypt	1–0	Mali
19	2013 Details	Algeria	Egypt	1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p)	Ghana	Nigeria	2–1	Mali
20	2015 Details	Senegal	Nigeria	1–0	Senegal	Ghana	3–1	Mali

Africa U-20 Cup of Nations

Edition	Year	Host nation	Final			Third Place Match
Edition	Year	Host nation	Champion	Score	Second Place	Third Place	Score	Fourth Place
21	2017 Details	Zambia	Zambia	2–0	Senegal	Guinea	2–1	South Africa
22	2019 Details	Niger^[5]	Mali	1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–2 p)	Senegal	South Africa	0–0 (5–3 p)	Nigeria
23	2021 Details	Mauritania^[6]^[7]	Ghana	2–0	Uganda	Gambia	0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p)	Tunisia
24	2023 Details	Egypt	Future event			Future event

Performance by nation

Rank	Team	Champions	Runners-up	Third-place	Fourth-place	Semi-finalists
1	Nigeria	7 (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011, 2015)	2 (1999, 2007)	3 (1995*, 2009, 2013)	1 (2019)	2 (1979, 1981)
2	Ghana	4 (1993, 1999*, 2009, 2021)	2 (2001, 2013)	2 (1991, 2015)	1 (1997)	–
3	Egypt	4 (1981, 1991*, 2003, 2013)	1 (2005)	3 (1993, 2001, 2011)	–	–
4	Cameroon	1 (1995)	4 (1981, 1993, 2009, 2011)	1 (1999)	–	–
5	Mali	1 (2019)	1 (1989)	1 (2003)	4 (1995, 2011, 2013, 2015)	–
6	Zambia	1 (2017*)	–	–	3 (1991, 1999, 2007)	–
7	Algeria	1 (1979)	–	–	–	3 (1981, 1983, 1989)
8	Morocco	1 (1997*)	–	–	1 (2005)	1 (1987)
9	Angola	1 (2001)	–	–	–	–
9	Congo	1 (2007*)	–	–	–	–
11	Ivory Coast	–	3 (1983, 1991, 2003)	1 (1997)	–	2 (1985, 1989)
12	Senegal	–	3 (2015*, 2017, 2019)	–	–	–
13	South Africa	–	1 (1997)	1 (2019)	2 (2009, 2017)	–
14	Guinea	–	1 (1979)	1 (2017)	–	1 (1983)
15	Tunisia	–	1 (1985)	–	1 (2021)	–
16	Togo	–	1 (1987)	–	–	–
	Burundi	–	1 (1995)	–	–	–
	Uganda	–	1 (2021)	–	–	–
19	Gambia	–	–	2 (2007, 2021)	–	–
20	Benin	–	–	1 (2005*)	–	–
21	Ethiopia	–	–	–	2 (1993, 2001*)	2 (1979, 1985)
22	Somalia	–	–	–	–	1 (1987)
23	Burkina Faso	–	–	–	1 (2003*)	–

Source for winners and runners-up: RSSSF^[8]

* = As hosts

Participating nations

Team	1979	1981	1983	1985	1987	1989	1991	1993	1995	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005	2007	2009	2011	2013	2015	2017	2019	2021	2023	Years
Algeria	1st	SF	SF	1R	×	SF		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	×	•	•	•	•	6
Angola	×	×	1R	1R	×	PR	×	×	•	•	GS	1st	•	GS	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	6
Benin	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	•	×	×	×	3rd	×	•	•	GS	•	×	•	•	q	3
Burkina Faso	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	×	•	4th	•	GS	•	•	•	•	•	GS	QF	•	4
Burundi	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	2nd		•	×	•	×	•	•	•	×	•	•	GS	•	•	2
Cameroon	2R	2nd	QF	QF	1R	1R	GS	2nd	1st	•	3rd	GS	•	•	GS	2nd	2nd	•	•	GS	•	QF		16
Central African Republic	×	2R	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	×	•	QF		2
Congo	×	×	×	×	×	×	×		×	×	•	×	×	×	1st	•	•	•	GS	•	•	•		2
DR Congo	×	×	×	×	×	1R	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	GS	•	•	•	•		2
Egypt	1R	1st	QF	1R	QF	QF	1st	3rd	•	GS	•	3rd	1st	2nd	GS	GS	3rd	1st	•	GS	•	×	q	18
Equatorial Guinea	×	2R		×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	×	•	×	•	×	×	×	•	•		1
Eswatini	×	×	1R	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	1
Ethiopia	SF	1R	×	SF	1R	×	GS	4th	•	•	•	4th	•	×	•	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	7
Gabon	×	PR	1R	×	×	QF		×	×	×	•	•	GS	×	•	•	•	GS	•	•	•	×	×	5
Gambia	×	×	1R	PR	×	×	•	×	×	×	×	•	×	•	3rd	•	GS	×		•	•	3rd	q	6
Ghana	×	×	×	1R		QF	3rd	1st	•	4th	1st	2nd	GS	•	•	1st	GS	2nd	3rd	•	GS	1st	•	14
Guinea	2nd	1R	SF	QF	1R	1R		×	GS	•	GS	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	3rd	•	•	•	9
Ivory Coast	×	×	2nd	SF	QF	SF	2nd	×	•	3rd	•	×	2nd	GS	GS	GS	•	•	GS	•	•	•	•	11
Kenya	1R	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	•	×	•	×	×	•	•	•	•	•		•	•	×	1
Lesotho	×	×	×	×	×	QF	•	×	•	×	•	•	×	GS	•	•	GS	×	×	•	•	•	•	3
Liberia	×	×		×	×	PR	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	×	×	•	×	•	•	•	•	×	•	1
Libya	1R	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	1
Malawi	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	GS	•	×	×	•	•	•	×	•	×	•	•	•	1
Mali	×	×	×	×	×	2nd	•	•	4th	GS	GS	GS	3rd	GS	•	GS	4th	4th	4th	GS	1st	•	•	13
Mauritania	×	1R	×	×	1R	×	•	•	×	•	×	×	×	×	•	•	×	•	•	•	•	GS	•	3
Mauritius	2R	×	×	×	×	×	×	GS	GS	•	×	•	×	×	•	•	•	•	×	•	•	×	•	3
Morocco	2R	1R	QF	QF	SF	1R	•	GS	•	1st	•	•	4th	GS	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	QF	•	11
Mozambique	×	×	×	PR	QF	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	q	4
Namibia	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	1
Niger	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	•	×	×	×	×		•	•	×	•	•	•	GS	•	•	1
Nigeria	SF	SF	1st	1st	1st	1st	×	GS	3rd	•	2nd	GS	•	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	3rd	1st	•	4th	•	q	18
Rwanda	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	•	•	GS	•	•	•	•	•	×	×	1
Senegal	×	×	PR	×	×	PR	•	GS	GS	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	2nd	2nd	2nd	•	q	8
Somalia	×	×	×	×	SF	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	×	1
South Africa	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	2nd	•	GS	GS	•	•	4th	GS	•	GS	4th	3rd	•	•	8
South Sudan	Country didn't exist: part of Sudan																	×	×	×	•	•	q	1
Sudan	×	×	1R	1R	×	×	×	×	•	GS	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	•	4
Tanzania	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	×	×	×	•	•	•	×	•	GS	•	1
Togo	×	1R	1R	×	2nd	×	×	•	•	×	•	×	•	×	•	×	•	×	•	×	•	•	•	3
Tunisia	2R	2R	1R	2nd	QF	1R		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	4th	q	8
Uganda	×	×	×	PR	PR	×	•	•	×	×	•	•	•	×	×	•	•	•	×		•	2nd	q	4
Zambia	×	×	×	1R	1R	×	4th	×	GS	GS	4th	•	•	•	4th	•	•	•	GS	1st	•	•	q	10
Zimbabwe	×	2R	QF	QF		×	•	•	×	•	×	×	•	•	•	•	×	×	×	•	•	•	×	3

Legend

1st – Champions
2nd – Runners-up
3rd – Third place
4th – Fourth place
SF – Semi-finals
QF – Quarter-finals
GS – Group stage
PR – Preliminary round
1R – First round
2R – Second round
q – Qualified
— Hosts
× – Did not enter
• – Did not qualify
× – Withdrew before qualification
— Withdrew after qualification
— Disqualified after qualification

Participating nations by year of debut

Participating nations by Debut (Until 1989, counted Round 1, after 1991 counting Final 16)

Before 1989

1979: Algeria, Guinea, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Egypt, Libya, Kenya, Morocco, Mauritius, Cameroon, Tunisia
1981: Togo, Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe, Mauritania, Central African Republic
1983: Gambia, Sudan, Gabon, Swaziland, Ivory Coast, Angola
1985: Zambia, Ghana
1987: Somalia
1989: Congo, Mali, Lesotho

After 1991

1991: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Ghana, Zambia, Egypt (hosts), Ethiopia
1993: Nigeria, Mauritius (hosts), Morocco, Senegal
1995: Guinea, Burundi, Mali
1997: South Africa, Sudan
1999: Malawi, Angola
2003: Gabon, Burkina Faso
2005: Lesotho, Benin (hosts)
2007: Gambia, Congo (hosts)
2009: Rwanda (hosts)
2011: No new team
2013: Algeria, DR Congo
2015: No new team
2017: No new team
2019: Niger (hosts)
2021: Central African Republic, Mauritania (hosts), Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda

Player awards

Year	Player of the tournament	Top goalscorer
1991		Moustafa Sadek
1993
1995
1997	Benni McCarthy	Benni McCarthy
1999		Ousmane Bangoura
2001		Pedro Mantorras
2003		Emad Moteab
2005		Mouhcine Iajour
2007	Fabrice N'Guessi^[9]	Fwayo Tembo
2009	Ransford Osei	Ransford Osei
2011	Edgar Salli	Uche Nwofor
2013	Saleh Gomaa	Aminu Umar
2015	Yaw Yeboah	Musa Muhammed
2017	Patson Daka	Luther Singh
2019	Moussa N'Diaye	Youssouph Mamadou Badji
2021	Abdul Fatawu Issahaku	Derrick Kakooza

FIFA U-20 World Cup performances

Team	1977	1979	1981	1983	1985	1987	1989	1991	1993	1995	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005	2007	2009	2011	2013	2015	2017	2019	Total
Algeria		QF																					1
Angola													R2										1
Benin															R1								1
Burkina Faso														R2									1
Burundi										R1													1
Cameroon			R1						R1	QF		R2					R1	R2					6
Congo																R2							1
Egypt			QF					R1					3rd	R2	R1		R2	R2	R1				8
Ethiopia													R1										1
Gambia																R2							1
Ghana									2nd		4th	QF	2nd				1st		3rd	R2			7
Guinea		R1																			R1		2
Ivory Coast	R1			R1				R1			R1			R2									5
Mali							R1					3rd		R1				R1	R1	3rd		QF	6
Morocco	R1										R2				4th								3
Nigeria				R1	3rd	R1	2nd					QF			2nd	QF	R2	QF	R2	R2		R2	12
Senegal																				4th	R2	QF	3
South Africa											R1						R2				R1	R1	4
Togo						R1																	1
Tunisia	R1				R1																		2
Zambia												R1				R2					QF		3

Legend

1st – Champions
2nd – Runners-up
3rd – Third place
4th – Fourth place

QF – Quarterfinals
R2 – Round 2
R1 – Round 1
– Hosts
q – Qualified for upcoming tournament

References

^ "Decisions of CAF Executive Committee on 6 August 2015". CAF. 9 August 2015.
^ "Total to sponsor CAF competitions for the next eight years". Africa News. Africa News. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
^ "1977 results by RSSSF". Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
^ "Nigeria win superb Africa Youth Championship final". BBC. 1 May 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
^ "CAF Executive Committee decisions of 26 May 2015". CAF. 27 May 2015.
^ "CAN 2019 : un dernier sursis pour le Cameroun ?" (in French). CamFoot. 29 September 2018.
^ "Decisions of CAF Executive Commitee [sic] - 27 & 28 September 2018". CAF. 29 September 2018.
^ José Luis Pierrend (15 July 2011). "African Youth Championship". RSSSF. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
^ "Ambitious Ondama targets Congolese triumph". FIFA.com. 30 April 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2013.^{[dead link]}

External links

[1] "Decisions of CAF Executive Committee on 6 August 2015". CAF. 9 August 2015.

[africanews.com-2] "Total to sponsor CAF competitions for the next eight years". Africa News. Africa News. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.

[RSSSF-3] "1977 results by RSSSF". Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2012.

[4] "Nigeria win superb Africa Youth Championship final". BBC. 1 May 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2012.

[5] "CAF Executive Committee decisions of 26 May 2015". CAF. 27 May 2015.

[6] "CAN 2019 : un dernier sursis pour le Cameroun ?" (in French). CamFoot. 29 September 2018.

[7] "Decisions of CAF Executive Commitee [sic] - 27 & 28 September 2018". CAF. 29 September 2018.

[8] José Luis Pierrend (15 July 2011). "African Youth Championship". RSSSF. Retrieved 28 November 2011.

[9] "Ambitious Ondama targets Congolese triumph". FIFA.com. 30 April 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2013.^{[dead link]}

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v t e FIFA World Youth Championship and FIFA U-20 World Cup
Tournaments	Tunisia 1977 Japan 1979 Australia 1981 Mexico 1983 Soviet Union 1985 Chile 1987 Saudi Arabia 1989 Portugal 1991 Australia 1993 Qatar 1995 Malaysia 1997 Nigeria 1999 Argentina 2001 United Arab Emirates 2003 Netherlands 2005 Canada 2007 Egypt 2009 Colombia 2011 Turkey 2013 New Zealand 2015 South Korea 2017 Poland 2019 ~~Indonesia 2021~~ Argentina 2023 Chile 2025
Finals	1979 2017 2019 2023 2025
Squads	1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025
Qualification	AFC CAF CONCACAF CONMEBOL OFC UEFA
Records and statistics

v t e International association football
FIFA Federations Teams Competitions World Cup U-20 U-17 Olympics Youth Olympics Universiade World Rankings The Best FIFA Football Awards Timeline
Africa	CAF – Africa Cup of Nations U-23 U-20 U-17 African Nations Championship Regional (CECAFA, CEMAC, COSAFA, WAFU) Intercontinental (Arab)
Asia	AFC – Asian Cup U-23 U-20 U-17 Regional (ASEAN, Central, East, South, West) Interregional (AFF-EAFF) Intercontinental (Arab)
Europe	UEFA – Euro U-21 U-19 U-17 Nations League Interregional (CONMEBOL–UEFA)
North & Central America and the Caribbean	CONCACAF – Gold Cup U-20 U-17 U-15 Nations League
Oceania	OFC – Men's Nations Cup U-19 U-16/U-17
South America	CONMEBOL – Copa América U-20 U-17 U-15 Interregional (CONMEBOL–UEFA)
Non-FIFA	CONIFA – CONIFA World Football Cup CONIFA European Football Cup CONIFA South America Football Cup CONIFA Africa Football Cup IIGA – Island Games ODEBO – Bolivarian Games ODESUR – South American Games South American Board of New Federations (COSANFF) World Unity Football Alliance (WUFA)
Games	African Games Arab Games Asian Games Central America Games Central America and Caribbean Games East Asian Games Jeux de la Francophonie Goodwill Games Indian Ocean Island Games Islamic Solidarity Games Lusofonia Games Mediterranean Games Micronesian Games Pan American Games Pacific Games Pacific Mini Games South Asian Games Southeast Asian Games West Asian Games
See also Geography Codes Player/Club of the Century Women's football

v t e U-20 Africa Cup of Nations awards
Golden player	1997: McCarthy 2007: N'Guessi 2009: Osei 2011: Salli 2013: Gomaa 2015: Yeboah 2017: Daka 2019: N'Diaye 2021: Issahaku 2023: Camara
Top goalscorer	1991: Sadek 1997: McCarthy 1999: Bangoura 2001: Mantorras 2003: Moteab 2005: Iajour 2007: Tembo 2009: Osei 2011: Nwofor 2013: Umar 2015: Muhammed 2017: Chilufya, Daka & Singh 2019: Badji 2021: Kakooza 2023: Diop