Race against time: Africa scrambles to save AFCON U20 after host withdrawal

With under 200 days until kickoff, African football faces an organizational crisis after Côte d’Ivoire’s abrupt withdrawal as host of the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations. The last-minute pullout, confirmed via official letter to CAF on Wednesday, sends tournament planners scrambling for solutions.

Emergency host search
While Morocco – currently preparing to host the U17 tournament – appears the logical standby option, sources indicate Egypt may get the nod.

The North African nation boasts recent experience, having successfully staged the 2023 edition where Senegal emerged champions.

Key Challenges:
• Compressed timeline for venue preparation and logistics
• Reduced field from 13 to 12 competing nations
• Potential sanctions against Ivory Coast, including possible two-tournament ban

The clock ticks loudly for CAF, with the April 26-May 18 tournament window approaching fast.

Egypt’s existing infrastructure and recent hosting experience make it the frontrunner, but the confederation must move quickly to prevent this from becoming another African football governance controversy.

This developing situation leaves participating nations in limbo and tests CAF’s crisis management capabilities yet again. The coming days will reveal whether African football can pull off this last-minute salvage operation.