AFCON U17 qualifiers 2019
CECAFA Region
11th – 26th August 2018
National Stadium, Tanzania
Uganda has been confirmed as of the 10 CECAFA Nations that will take part in the 2019 AFCON U-17 qualifiers next month.
Unlike the usual qualification format, this time round, the qualifiers will be played on a zonal basis with one nation qualifying from each of the six zones and join the hosts Tanzania at the finals tournament.
The decision, one of the key elements among the resolutions of the first ever CAF African Football Symposium in July 2017 in Rabat (Morocco), was approved by the CAF Executive Committee.
The new format is expected to increase participation at the level of teams in the qualifiers, enhanced exposure and competitiveness by getting all involved.
CAF General Secretary Amr Fahmy as quoted by the CAF website saying;
“The response has been great, said Fahmy.
“A total of 49 Member Associations have confirmed their participation, which is a record compared to the previous years.
“We will get to see teams that never participated and rarely made an impact at the youth level.
“The U-17 is the nursery of our competitions and every eligible player must be given the opportunity to participate, continued Fahmy.
“We have been preparing for the past months in the areas of logistics, organisation and infrastructure, and I can confidently say, we are ready for the kick off.
Tanzania will also host the CECAFA qualification round that will feature 10 nations and it will run from 11th to 26th of next month (August).
The CECAFA Region has been divided into two groups of five teams in with group A featuring the hosts (Tanzania), Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and Sudan.
Uganda has been placed in group B along with Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Djibouti.
Each of the six Zonal Unions (CECAFA, COSAFA, UNAF, UNIFFAC, WAFU A, WAFU B) will organise their regional qualifiers featuring teams from the zone. UEFA, through its UEFA ASSIST programme, is supporting the qualifiers.
From mid-July to September, the qualifiers will take off with Mauritius hosting the COSAFA qualifiers, Equatorial Guinea (UNIFFAC), Tanzania (CECAFA), Tunisia (UNAF), Senegal (WAFU A) and Niger (WAFU B).
The winner of each zonal competition qualifies for the final tournament, with the exception of the zone of the previous winner, entitled to two slots.
Since Mali won the title in 2017, WAFU A will qualify two teams.
Meanwhile, all players selected for the tournament are expected to undergo mandatory Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to determine their eligibility to participate.
CECAFA U-17 Zonal Qualification:
Groups:
- A: Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Sudan
- B: Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Djibouti
Fixtures:
Saturday, 11th August:
- Rwanda Vs Sudan – National Stadium
- Tanzania Vs Burundi – National Stadium
Sunday, 12th August:
- South Sudan Vs Djibouti – Chamazi
- Uganda Vs Ethiopia – Chamazi
Monday, 13th August:
- Sudan Vs Somalia – Chamazi
- Burundi Vs Rwanda – Chamazi
Tuesday, 14th August:
- Kenya Vs South Sudan – National Stadium
- Djibouti Vs Ethiopia – National Stadium
Wednesday, 15th August: Rest Day
Thursday, 16th August:
- Somalia Vs Rwanda – National Stadium
- Sudan Vs Tanzania – National Stadium
Friday, 17th August:
- South Sudan Vs Uganda – Chamazi
- Djibouti Vs Kenya – Chamazi
Saturday, 18th August:
- Burundi Vs Sudan – Chamazi
- Tanzania Vs Somalia – Chamazi
Sunday, 19th August:
- Ethiopia Vs South Sudan – National Stadium
- Kenya Vs Uganda – National Stadium
Monday, 20th August: Rest Day
Tuesday, 21st August:
- Somalia Vs Burundi – National Stadium
- Rwanda Vs Tanzania – National Stadium
Wednesday, 22nd August:
- Uganda Vs Djibouti – Chamazi
- Ethiopia Vs Kenya – Chamazi
Thursday, 23rd August: Rest Day
Friday, 24th August:
- Semi- final 1: Winner A Vs Runners up B – National Stadium
- Semi-final 2: Winner B Vs Runners up A – National Stadium
Saturday, 25th August: Rest Day
Sunday, 26th August:
- Third place play off and Final – National Stadium
