Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Egypt and Zambia register wins as Cote d’Ivoire suffer defeat in U17 Opener
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Egypt and Zambia register wins as Cote d’Ivoire suffer defeat in U17 WC Opener

Egypt and Zambia secured impressive victories at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday, while Cote d’Ivoire must work hard to improve their chances of reaching the knockout rounds.

Egypt comfortably defeated Haiti 4-1 in Group E, placing them at the top of the standings ahead of Venezuela, which convincingly overcame England 3-0 in the other match of the group.

The Egyptians had four different players score, as Belal Attia, Abdelaziz El Zoghby, Hamza Abdelkarim, and Omar Kamal all contributed to a strong performance for the North African team.

Egypt’s next match is against Venezuela on Friday, which could be crucial for both teams in the group. In Group H, Zambia emerged victorious with a 3-1 win over Indonesia after coming back from a deficit to secure the three points.

They struck three goals within a span of six minutes in the first half, with tall forward Abel Nyirongo scoring twice and Lukonde Mwale adding another.

Zambia will play again on Friday against Honduras, who suffered a heavy 7-0 defeat at the hands of Brazil in their first game. Côtee d’Ivoire faced difficulties against a solid Swiss team, which won 4-1 in Group F. The Ivorians found themselves trailing 4-0 before Hubert Yao managed to score a late consolation.

Their next match is against Mexico on Friday, who also lost their opening game 2-1 to South Korea.

The top two teams from each group will automatically progress to the Round of 32, along with the eight best third-placed teams, providing ample opportunities for teams to advance.

Cameroon, Egypt, Mali and the Ivory Coast join Women’s AFCON participants
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Cameroon, Egypt, Mali and Ivory Coast join 2026 Women’s AFCON participants

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the final four teams that will make the 16 teams in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Egypt secured their spots based on their FIFA rankings. This announcement came after a CAF statement on 3 November 2025, following the completion of the qualifiers held under the previous 12-team format. Since the competition will expand to 16 teams starting in 2026, CAF decided to bring back the highest-ranked teams that were eliminated in the final qualifying round to ensure fairness.

All four teams return to the tournament after close losses in the qualifying matches. Cameroon lost to Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire was beaten by Burkina Faso, Mali lost to Equatorial Guinea, and Egypt fell to Senegal, but their FIFA rankings now allow them to compete in the finals.

The 2026 tournament will take place in Morocco from 17 March to 3 April. It will also serve as Africa’s qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the top four teams earning a place in Brazil.

The 16 teams for the 2026 WAFCON include Morocco (the host), Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria (the defending champions), Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia, along with Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Egypt. With the teams confirmed, everyone is now looking forward to a historic 16-team WAFCON in Morocco.

Tunisia thrash Fiji as Senegal held to a barren draw against Croatia
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Tunisia thrash Fiji as Senegal were held to a barren draw against Croatia

In Group D, Tunisia kicked off their U17 World Cup campaign with an impressive victory, smashing tournament debutant Fiji 6-0 in their opening match at Pitch 9 in the Doha Aspire Zone.

The North African side found their rhythm around the half-hour mark when Wassim Slama cleverly beat the goalkeeper at the near post. Shortly after, Fedi Tayechi added to the tally with a stunning strike.

Slama then doubled his contribution, capitalising on a rebound, followed by a powerful right-foot finish from Anisse Saidi.

Saifedin Haj Abdallah further extended their lead with a composed curler from inside the box, and Tayechi rounded off the scoring with a strike in the dying minutes.

Tunisia goals: Slama (30, 53), Tayechi (36, 86), Saidi (74), Haj Abdallah (80). Player of the Match: Fedi Tayechi (Tunisia). Tunisia showcased a dominant performance, cruising past Fiji.

In Group C, the match between Senegal and Croatia ended in a stalemate, with both defences proving impenetrable. The Europeans controlled the first half and had a golden opportunity to score when Patrik Horvat’s shot from the edge of the area was parried by Vincent Gomis, only for Jona Benkotic to blaze the follow-up over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy.

Both teams pressed hard in the second half, but neither could manage to find the breakthrough.

Player of the Match: Vincent Gomis (Senegal).

South Africa Stun Bolivia as Japan defeat Morocco in U17 World Cup
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

South Africa Stun Bolivia as Japan defeat Morocco in U17 World Cup

In Group A, South Africa delivered a remarkable performance against Bolivia, winning 3-1 despite being down to ten men in their opening match of the FIFA U17 World Cup at the Aspire Zone Complex in Doha, Qatar, on Monday.

Coach Vela Khumalo’s team made history by becoming the first South African national team to win their opening match in a FIFA World Cup  This was also the U17S’s first victory in their second World Cup appearance, following a winless debut in 2015.

The team’s momentum took a hit when Sive Pama was shown a red card midway through the first half. However, Emile Witbooi quickly put them ahead, followed by a close-range goal from Neo Bohloko.

Bolivia fought back with a Panenka-style penalty converted by Jesus Maraude, but Shaun Els sealed the victory for South Africa with a breakaway goal in the final moments.

Final Score: South Africa 3-1 Bolivia  

South Africa Goals: Witbooi (38), Bohloko (50), Els (90+5)  

Bolivia Goal: Maraude (penalty, 72)  

Player of the Match: Kamohelo Mareletse (South Africa)

In Group B, Japan continued their impressive streak at the U-17 World Cup with a solid 2-0 victory over Morocco. The AFC giants nearly opened the scoring in the first half when Anthony Motosuna’s header was disallowed due to a foul on goalkeeper Chouaib Bellaarouch.

Undeterred, Japan eventually broke the deadlock as Hiroto Asada sliced through the Moroccan defence and set up Taiga Seguchi, who finished with a stunning first-time strike into the corner of the net.

Minato Yoshida thought he had added a second shortly after, but his effort was ruled out for handball. Japan finally secured the win in stoppage time, with Daigo Hirashima striking a powerful shot from just inside the box.

Final Score: Japan 2-0 Morocco  

Japan Goals: Seguchi (57), Hirashima (90+8)  

Player of the Match: Daigo Hirashima

CAF Confederation Cup - All you need to know after group stage draw
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

CAF Confederation Cup – All you need to know after group stage draw

Zamalek and Al Masry will face each other in the Group Stages of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup 2025/26. This exciting matchup, known as the Egyptian Derby, was decided during the draw held at the SuperSport studios in Johannesburg on Monday.

Zamalek, the champion of the 2023/24 season, will compete in Group D alongside the South African team Kaizer Chiefs and the Zambian squad ZESCO United, making it a challenging group.

In Group A, USM Alger from Algeria is the top seed and will play against Djoliba AC de Bamako from Mali, Olympique Club de Safi from Morocco, and FC San Pedro from Cote d’Ivoire.

Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca, a three-time TotalEnergies CAF Champions League winner, leads Group B and will take on AS Maniema from DR Congo, Azam FC from Tanzania, and debutants Nairobi United from Kenya.

CR Belouizdad from Algeria will face last year’s semi-finalists, Stellenbosch FC from South Africa, AS Otoho from Congo, and Singida Black Stars from Tanzania in Group C.

The Group Stages will begin on the weekend of November 21-23, with two rounds scheduled before the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in 2025. The stages will continue on the weekend of January 23-25.

RS Berkane from Morocco is the current champion of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup, having won their third title by defeating Simba SC from Tanzania in last year’s final. This victory puts them level with CS Sfaxien from Tunisia for the most titles in history.

Zamalek has won two titles, and USM Alger has one title from the 2022/23 season, making them the only former champions in this year’s competition.

The champions of this season will receive USD 2 million in prize money, while the runners-up will get USD 1 million. Teams that advance from the group stage are guaranteed at least USD 550,000, while teams finishing third and fourth will receive USD 400,000.

TOTALENERGIES CAF CONFEDERATION CUP GROUPS

GROUP A: USM Alger (Algeria), Djoliba AC de Bamako (Mali), Olympique Club de Safi (Morocco), FC San Pedro (Cote d’Ivoire)

GROUP B: Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), AS Maniema (DR Congo), Azam FC (Tanzania), Nairobi United (Kenya)

GROUP C: CR Belouizdad (Algeria), Stellenbosch FC (South Africa), AS Otoho (Congo), Singida Black Stars (Tanzania)

GROUP D: Zamalek (Egypt), Al Masry (Egypt), Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa), ZESCO United (Zambia)

CAF INTERCLUB GROUP STAGE MATCH DAYS

MD1: 21-23 November

MD2: 28-30 November

MD3: 23-25 January

MD4: 30 Janunary-01 February

MD5: 06-08 February

MD6: 13-15 February