Egypt and Morocco in the running to host Africa Cup of Nations for U-20 instead of Ghana

Egypt and Morocco have entered the calculations of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as potential options to host the Africa Cup of Nations U20, scheduled to take place in Ghana in March 2027. This comes amid reports discussing challenges facing the host country's preparations, related to stadium readiness and securing the necessary funding to organize the tournament.

According to media reports, the Confederation of African Football is studying available alternatives in anticipation of Ghana's inability to meet hosting requirements on time, with Egypt and Morocco emerging as options given their previous experience in organizing continental tournaments and the availability of necessary sports facilities.

Despite these speculations, CAF has not yet announced the withdrawal of hosting rights from Ghana or officially moved the tournament to another country, while the West African nation insists on hosting the competition, which coincides with its celebrations for the 70th anniversary of its independence.

Ghana's preparations are facing questions regarding the readiness of stadiums and infrastructure, alongside securing the necessary financial resources to complete development works before the tournament kicks off in March 2027.

Yaw Amfoh Ankra, the Director General of the National Sports Authority in Ghana, has acknowledged in previous statements that local stadiums currently do not meet all the requirements of the Africa Cup of Nations, pointing out the need for development work, especially regarding the playing surfaces and sports facilities.

The proposed stadiums for hosting matches include Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, Cape Coast Stadium, and the University of Ghana Stadium, along with the possibility of using Accra Sports Stadium.

Concerns have been raised about the pace of preparations and the provision of necessary funding to complete development works, leading to worries regarding Ghana's ability to meet all regulatory requirements on time. However, Ghanaian media reports have confirmed that the local football association remains committed to hosting the tournament and is confident in completing the preparations.

Egypt emerges as a potential alternative option, leveraging its experience in hosting continental tournaments, having hosted the previous edition of the Africa Cup of Nations Under-20 in 2025, after Ivory Coast withdrew from organizing it shortly before the competitions began.

This experience gives Cairo prior knowledge of the requirements for organizing the tournament, along with having sports facilities that have previously been used to host international and continental matches, which could enhance its chances if a decision is made to change the host country.

As Egypt prepares to host the combined tournament for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for the football competitions at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028, scheduled to take place in November 2027, this step enhances its presence on the map of hosting African football competitions.

Nine teams have secured qualification for the finals.

On the national teams front, nine teams have secured qualification for the finals so far, with three spots remaining to complete the list of 12 participants.

The following national teams are included in the list:

Ghana: the host country.

Egypt and Morocco: from the North Africa region, after the Egyptian national team topped the qualifiers with 9 points, and the Moroccan national team came second with 7 points.

Nigeria and Burkina Faso: about the West Africa region.

Sudan and Tanzania: about the Central and East Africa region.

South Africa and Mozambique: about the Southern African region.

The tournament gains additional importance as a qualifying event for the FIFA World Cup U-20 2027, scheduled to take place in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, where the four teams reaching the Semi-Final will secure spots to represent the African continent in the World Cup.

While Ghana insists on its right to host the tournament and discussions about organizational challenges continue, Egypt and Morocco remain among the options being circulated in media reports, with no official announcement yet regarding a change in the tournament's venue.