Africa’s four representatives for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025™ have now been confirmed, with Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa all sealing qualification by reaching the semi-finals of the ongoing CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
The FIFA U-20 World Cup takes place in Chile from 27 September to 19 October 2025.
The four sides booked their tickets following hard-fought quarter-final victories in a day filled with tension, drama, and high stakes.
Morocco were the first to punch their ticket, edging Sierra Leone 1-0 after extra time thanks to a late own goal.
The tightly contested match was decided in the 115th minute, ending Sierra Leone’s impressive debut campaign.
Hosts Egypt joined them after a thrilling comeback against Ghana.
Trailing 2-0, the young Pharaohs forced penalties with a last-gasp equaliser and held their nerve in the shootout to win 5-4 and book a return to the global stage.
Nigeria, the continent’s most decorated U20 side, advanced after defeating defending champions Senegal on penalties.
The Flying Eagles kept calm under pressure to seal their record 14th appearance at the U20 World Cup.
South Africa completed the quartet with a 1-0 extra-time win over DR Congo, thanks to Thabang Mahlangu’s decisive strike deep into added time.
The U20 AFCON semi-finals are scheduled to return on Thursday with South Africa playing Nigeria while hosts Egypt will take on Morocco.The final is scheduled May 18th.
