Published:
Monday, 07 September 2026
Tanzania will host the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) CECAFA Qualifier from 15 – 24 September 2026.
The qualifiers bring together nine teams from the region and will determine which two nations qualify to represent East Africa at the 2026 edition of the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 AFCON Ghana 2027.
All matches will be played at the renovated Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Tanzania, the reigning U-20 champions in the Zone, are placed in Group A alongside Ethiopia and Rwanda, while Group B has Uganda, Sudan and Djibouti. South Sudan, Kenya and Burundi are placed in Group C.
Uganda will kick start their campaign with a match against Djibouti on 15 September, the same day South Sudan face Burundi, and hosts Tanzania take on Rwanda.
Yusuf Mossi, the Competitions Manager of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) says they expect a very competitive tournament because most teams in the region started early preparations.
“We had a successful draw held in Rwanda last month and three teams were placed in each of the three groups. The top team in each of the groups, together with the best second placed team from the three groups, will automatically qualify for the semi-final stage,” explained Mossi.
TotalEnergies CAF U-20 AFCON CECAFA Qualifiers:
GROUP A: Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda
GROUP B: Uganda, Sudan, Djibouti
GROUP C: South Sudan, Kenya, Burundi