2011 African U-23 Championship
بطولة إفريقيا تحت 23 سنة لكرة القدم 2011 | |
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Tournament details | |
Host country | ![]() |
Dates | 26 November – 10 December |
Teams | 8 (from 1 confederation) |
Venue(s) | 2 (in 2 host cities) |
Final positions | |
Champions | ![]() |
Runners-up | ![]() |
Third place | ![]() |
Fourth place | ![]() |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 16 |
Goals scored | 35 (2.19 per match) |
Top scorer(s) | ![]() ![]() (3 goals) |
The 2011 CAF U-23 Championship was the first edition of the football tournament for players under 23 years. It was originally scheduled to be hosted by Egypt from 26 November to 10 December 2011. However, less than two months prior to the start of the tournament, Egyptian authorities decided against hosting the competition because of security concerns.[1] On 13 October 2011, Morocco was chosen as the replacement to host the tournament.[2]
The tournament also doubles up as the qualifiers for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The top 3 placed teams qualified automatically for the 2012 Summer Olympics football tournament, while the 4th best placed team qualify for a play-off with an AFC counterpart.[3]
Qualified teams
The Confederation of African Football chose to create a tournament and qualifying phase to decide which associations could represent Africa at the 2012 Olympic Games. Of CAF's 53 association nations, 39 agreed to participate in the qualifiers for the tournament.
To qualify for the tournament, participating nations had to overcome three two-legged qualifying stages.
Qualified teams:
Venues
Marrakech | Locations of the 2011 CAF U-23 Championship venues |
Tangier |
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Stade de Marrakech | Stade de Tanger | |
Capacity: 45,000 | Capacity: 45,000 | |
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Draw
The draw for the tournament was held on 24 September 2011 during the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Cairo, Egypt.[4]
Match officials
The following referees were chosen for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.[5]
Squads
Group stage
All times given as local time (UTC)
If two or more teams tied in their points, the following tie-breaker is used:[6]
- Points in the matches between the concerned teams,
- Goal difference in the matches between the concerned teams,
- Number of goals in the matches between the concerned teams,
- Goal difference in all group matches,
- Number of goals in all group matches,
- Fair Play point (number of yellow and red cards),
- Drawing of lots.
Legend | |
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Teams that advanced to the semifinals |
Group A
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Morocco ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
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Tighadouini ![]() |
Report |
Nigeria ![]() | 4–1 | ![]() |
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Lawal ![]() Uchechi ![]() |
Bounedjah ![]() |
Morocco ![]() | 0–1 | ![]() |
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Report | Wade ![]() |
Group B
Template:Fb cl2 header navbar Template:Fb cl2 team Template:Fb cl2 team Template:Fb cl2 team Template:Fb cl2 team |}
South Africa ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() |
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Bhengu ![]() |
Report | Griffiths ![]() |
Gabon ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() |
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Lengoualama ![]() |
Report | Masango ![]() |
Ivory Coast ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
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Koné ![]() |
Report |
Gabon ![]() | 3–1 | ![]() |
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Ndong Mba ![]() Yacouya ![]() |
Traoré ![]() |
Knockout stage
All times given as local time (UTC+1)
Semi finals | Final | |||||
6 December | ||||||
![]() | 0 | |||||
10 December | ||||||
![]() | 1 | |||||
![]() | 2 | |||||
7 December | ||||||
![]() | 1 | |||||
![]() | 2 | |||||
![]() | 3 | |||||
Third place play-off | ||||||
10 December | ||||||
![]() | 0 | |||||
![]() | 2 |
Semi-finals
Egypt ![]() | 2–3 | ![]() |
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Salah ![]() Shroyda ![]() |
Report | Barrada ![]() Mokhtar ![]() |
Third place play-off
Final
2011 CAF U-23 Championship Winners |
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![]() Gabon First title |
Best eleven
The team of the tournament with substitutes:[7]
- Goalkeeper:
Ahmed El-Shenawy
- Defenders:
Mahan Marc Goua,
Moaz El-Henawy,
Remy Ebanega,
Zakarya Bergdich
- Midfielders:
Sameehg Doutie,
Hossam Hassan,
Abdelaziz Barrada,
Raheem Lawal
- Forwards:
Youness Mokhtar,
Abdoulaye Sané
- Subs:
Ousmane Mané (GK);
Ahmed Hegazy and Mohamed Salah,
Allen Nono,
Laglais Xavier Kouassi and Jean Michael Seri,
Soufiane Bidaoui and Adnane Tighadouini,
Danny Uchechi,
Mohamed Chalali
Goalscorers
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
- 1 goal
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Criticisms
Some have questioned the need for the tournament and believe that the CAF-organised Under-23 football tournament, the 2011 All-Africa Games' football tournament should have been used as a qualifying tournament. The increase in number of national U-23 fixtures caused some domestic league schedules to be revised and some league games took place with weakened teams.[8]
There has been criticism from fans towards clubs who have not allowed their players to participate in the qualifying stages as the tournament is not featured on the FIFA Calendar whilst the Olympics tournament is. In effect this means that African nations can call on European-based players for the Olympic tournament who were not able to participate in qualifying due to club commitments.[9]
Qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics
Inter-continental play-off
Senegal – qualified for an inter-continental play-off against the fourth representative of the Pre-Olympic Tournament in Asian zone
See also
References
- ^ Egypt denied from staging Olympic qualifiers; FilGoal.com, 10 October 2011.
- ^ Morocco to host Olympic qualifying tournament; BBC, 13 October 2011.
- ^ "Egypt hosting Olympic qualifier". FIFA. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
- ^ "Egypt to host CAF U-23 Championship serving as 2012 London Olympic qualifiers". cafonline.com. Confederation of African Football. 22 August 2011.
- ^ "Referees". CAF Online. Confederation of African Football. Archived from the original on 21 November 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ "Regulations of the African U-23 Championship, Morocco 2011" (PDF). CAF. Retrieved 30 November 2011. (see art. 35.6)
- ^ "Best eleven CAF U-23 African Championship 2011". CAF Online. Confederation of African Football. 10 December 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
- ^ "Who is fooling who?". Botswana Gazette. 26 January 2011. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Ghana's U-23 soccer team transit through Nairobi". MichezofAfrika.com. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
External links
- 2011 CAF U-23 Championship
- Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's qualification
- 2011 in African football
- U-23 Africa Cup of Nations
- 2011–12 in Moroccan football
- International association football competitions hosted by Morocco
- Football at the Summer Olympics – Men's African Qualifiers
- 2011 in youth association football