Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, host Morocco, Zambia, and South Africa are all set for intriguing U17 AFCON quarterfinals, kicking off with Burkina Faso vs. Zambia as host Morocco takes on South Africa today.
Burkina Face v Zambia
Group B winners Burkina Faso face runners-up Zambia in the CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025 quarter-final at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium, Casablanca on Thursday (kick-off 17:00 local time / 16:00 GMT).
This is their first meeting in the U17 AFCON finals, but Burkina Faso has never lost in six previous games against COSAFA nations (W5 D1). Their only non-win was a 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe in 1999. They have scored 16 goals and conceded just three in those matches, keeping four clean sheets.
Host Morocco take on South Africa
Additionally, hosts Morocco will have a challenging match against South Africa in the CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-finals at the El Bachir Stadium in Mohammedia on Thursday, with a kick-off time of 20:00 local (19:00 GMT).
Morocco, the winners of Group A, finished their group undefeated with two wins and a draw. South Africa secured second place in Group B, with one win, one draw, and one loss.
This marks the second meeting between Morocco and South Africa at the TotalEnergies CAF U17 AFCON. In their previous encounter at the finals, Morocco won 2-0 during their first group game in the 2023 edition.
Notably, current Morocco U17 coach Nabil Baha was an unused substitute during a 1-1 draw between Morocco and South Africa at the group stages of the 2004 TotalEnergies CAF AFCON finals, which allowed Morocco to progress while South Africa was eliminated.
West African Derby – Ivory Coast v Senegal
In another quarter-final clash, West African rivals Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal will meet for the first time in the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025. This match will kick off at 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT) on Friday.
Côte d’Ivoire has scored the most goals in the tournament (10) and will take on Senegal, who boasts the joint-best defense. Both teams are unbeaten in the tournament, with Côte d’Ivoire winning Group D and Senegal finishing as runners-up in Group C.
Côte d’Ivoire is facing a defending champion for the second time, with their previous encounter being against Gambia in 2011, which they won 4-1 in the group stages.
Tunisia v Mali at the Ben M’Hamed El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida on Friday
Tunisia will face Mali in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025. The match will take place at the Ben M’Hamed El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida on Friday, with a kick-off time of 20:00 local (19:00 GMT).
The two teams have only met once before in the continental competition, during the group stages in 1999, where Mali emerged victorious with a score of 2-0. Tunisia’s record against West African opponents at these finals stands at 8 matches played, with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 5 losses. Their victories include a 3-0 win over Togo in the group stages of 2007 and a 2-1 win against Gambia in the current tournament.
Tunisia has also faced challenges in the semi-finals, losing to Nigeria twice, in 2007 and 2013. Additionally, they were defeated by Ghana in the 1997 group stages and in the play-off for third place in 2007. Tunisia lost to Mali during the 1995 group stages and recently drew 0-0 with Senegal in the ongoing competition.
On the other hand, this match against Tunisia will be Mali’s fifth encounter with North African opponents. Their previous record against North African teams shows 1 win, 1 draw, and 2 losses. Mali defeated Tunisia 2-0 in the 1995 group stages and drew 0-0 with Egypt during the 1997 group phase, later losing to Egypt 1-0 in the final that same year. In 2023, they faced Morocco in the semi-finals and lost in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw.
