Africa U-20 Cup of Nations

The Total U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (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.

Africa U-20 Cup of Nations

Founded	1979
Region	CAF (Africa)
Number of teams	8
Current champions	Mali (1st title)
Most successful team(s)	Nigeria (7 titles)
2021 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations

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
				To World Cup	Score	Not to World Cup		To World Cup	Score	Not to World Cup
1	1977 Details [3]	home & away		Morocco	1 – 0 3 – 0	Guinea		Ivory Coast	0 – 1 3 – 2 abandoned	Egypt		Tunisia

African U-21 Cup of Nations

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

African U-21 Championship

Edition	Year	Host nation		Final				Third Place Match
				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
				Champion	Score	Second Place		Third Place	Score	Fourth Place
14	2003 Details	Burkina Faso		Egypt	4 – 3	Ivory Coast		Mali	1 – 1 (5 – 4) on penalties	Burkina Faso
15	2005 Details	Benin		Nigeria	2 – 0	Egypt		Benin	1 – 1 (5 – 3) on penalties	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 aet	Cameroon		Egypt	1 – 0	Mali
19	2013 Details	Algeria		Egypt	1 – 1 (5 – 4) on penalties	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
				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 (3 – 2) on penalties	Senegal		South Africa	0 – 0 (5 – 3) on penalties	Nigeria
23	2021 Details	Mauritania[6][7]		To be played				To be played

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	Egypt	4 (1981, 1991*, 2003, 2013)	1 (2005)	3 (1993, 2001, 2011)	–	–
3	Ghana	3 (1993, 1999*, 2009)	2 (2001, 2013)	2 (1991, 2015)	1 (1997)	–
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)	–	–	–	–
	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)	–	–	–
	Togo	–	1 (1987)	–	–	–
	Burundi	–	1 (1995)	–	–	–
18	Benin	–	–	1 (2005*)	–	–
	Gambia	–	–	1 (2007)	–	–
20	Ethiopia	–	–	–	2 (1993, 2001*)	2 (1979, 1985)
21	Somalia	–	–	–	–	1 (1987)
22	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	Years
Algeria	1st	SF	SF	1R	×	SF		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	×	•	•		6
Angola	×	×	1R	1R	×	PR	×	×	•	•	GS	1st	•	GS	•	•	•	•	•	•	•		6
Benin	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	•	×	×	×	3rd	×	•	•	GS	•	×	•		2
Burkina Faso	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	×	•	4th	•	GS	•	•	•	•	•	GS		3
Burundi	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	2nd		•	×	•	×	•	•	•	×	•	•	GS		2
Cameroon	2R	2nd	QF	QF	1R	1R	GS	2nd	1st	•	3rd	GS	•	•	GS	2nd	2nd	•	•	GS	•		15
Central African Republic	×	2R	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	×	•		1
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	•		17
Equatorial Guinea	×	2R		×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	×	•	×	•	×	×	×	•		1
Ethiopia	SF	1R	×	SF	1R	×	GS	4th	•	•	•	4th	•	×	•	×	×	×	•	•	•		7
Gabon	×	PR	1R	×	×	QF		×	×	×	•	•	GS	×	•	•	•	GS	•	•	•		5
Gambia	×	×	1R	PR	×	×	•	×	×	×	×	•	×	•	3rd	•	GS	×		•	•		4
Ghana	×	×	×	1R		QF	3rd	1st	•	4th	1st	2nd	GS	•	•	1st	GS	2nd	3rd	•	GS		12
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	×	×	•	•		1
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	×	•	•	×	•	×	×	×	×	•	•	×	•	•	•	•	q	3
Mauritius	2R	×	×	×	×	×	×	GS	GS	•	×	•	×	×	•	•	•	•	×	•	•		3
Morocco	2R	1R	QF	QF	SF	1R	•	GS	•	1st	•	•	4th	GS	•	•	•	•	•	•	•		10
Mozambique	×	×	×	PR	QF	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•		2
Niger	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	•	×	×	×	×		•	•	×	•	•	•	GS		1
Nigeria	SF	SF	1st	1st	1st	1st	×	GS	3rd	•	2nd	GS	•	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	3rd	1st	•	4th		17
Rwanda	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	•	•	GS	•	•	•	•	•		1
Senegal	×	×	PR	×	×	PR	•	GS	GS	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	2nd	2nd	2nd		7
Somalia	×	×	×	×	SF	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	×	×	×	×	•	•	•		1
South Africa	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	2nd	•	GS	GS	•	•	4th	GS	•	GS	4th	3rd		8
Sudan	×	×	1R	1R	×	×	×	×	•	GS	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•		4
Eswatini	×	×	1R	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•		1
Togo	×	1R	1R	×	2nd	×	×	•	•	×	•	×	•	×	•	×	•	×	•	×	•		3
Tunisia	2R	2R	1R	2nd	QF	1R		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•		6
Uganda	×	×	×	PR	PR	×	•	•	×	×	•	•	•	×	×	•	•	•	×		•		2
Zambia	×	×	×	1R	1R	×	4th	×	GS	GS	4th	•	•	•	4th	•	•	•	GS	1st	•		9
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)

Player awards

Year		Player of the tournament		Top goalscorer
1991
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		Luther Singh		Patson Daka

FIFA U-20 World Cup performances

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

Team	1977	1979	1981	1983	1985	1987	1989	1991	1993	1995	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005	2007	2009	2011	2013	2015	2017	2019	2021	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

See also

• CAF
• Africa Cup of Nations
• Africa U-17 Cup of Nations
• UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
• AFC U-19 Championship
• FIFA U-20 World Cup

References

1. "Decisions of CAF Executive Committee on 6 August 2015". CAF. 9 August 2015.
2. "Total to sponsor CAF competitions for the next eight years". Africa News. Africa News. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
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.

External links

• African Youth Championship at CAF
• Results of all tournaments by RSSSF