Africa U-20 Cup of Nations
# Africa U-20 Cup of Nations

The U-20 Africa Cup of Nations officially known as TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reason (previously known as the African Youth Championship or unofficially the African U-20 Championship) is the main international youth football competition for CAF nations, and is competed for by under 20 year olds. It is held every two years with the top 4 teams qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

## History

From 1979 until 1989, the African representatives were determined purely on a home and away qualifying basis without a final tournament, with the African champions determined through the same qualification. Since 1991 there has been a qualifying stage followed by a final tournament played by 8 teams in a chosen country.

On 6 August 2015, the CAF Executive Committee decided to change the name of the tournament from the African Youth Championship to the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, similar to the senior's version, Africa Cup of Nations.

In July 2016, Total has secured an eight-year sponsorship package from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to support 10 of its principal competitions, including the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Champions League, renamed Total U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.

## Tournament summary

### African U-21 Qualifying for World Cup

| Edition | Year | Host nation | Qualification 1 | Qualification 1 | Qualification 1 | Qualification 2 | Qualification 2 | Qualification 2 | World Cup host | World Cup host | World Cup host |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Edition | Year | Host nation | To World Cup | Score | Not to World Cup | To World Cup | Score | Not to World Cup | World Cup host | World Cup host | World Cup host |
| 1 | 1977 Details | Home sites | Morocco | 1–0 | Guinea | Ivory Coast | 0–1 | Egypt | Tunisia |
| 1 | 1977 Details | Home sites | Morocco | 3–0 | Guinea | Ivory Coast | 3–2 (abd) | Egypt | Tunisia |

### African U-21 Cup of Nations

| Edition | Year | Host nation | Final | Final | Final | Third Place | Third Place |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Edition | Year | Host nation | Champion | Score | Second Place | Third Place | Third Place |
| 2 | 1979 Details | Home sites | Algeria | 2–1 | Guinea | Ethiopia | Nigeria |
| 2 | 1979 Details | Home sites | Algeria | 2–3 | Guinea | Ethiopia | Nigeria |
| 3 | 1981 Details | Home sites | Egypt | 2–0 | Cameroon | Algeria | Nigeria |
| 3 | 1981 Details | Home sites | Egypt | 1–1 | Cameroon | Algeria | Nigeria |
| 4 | 1983 Details | Home sites | Nigeria | 2–2 | Ivory Coast | Algeria | Guinea |
| 4 | 1983 Details | Home sites | Nigeria | 2–1 | Ivory Coast | Algeria | Guinea |
| 5 | 1985 Details | Home sites | Nigeria | 1–1 | Tunisia | Ivory Coast | Ethiopia |
| 5 | 1985 Details | Home sites | Nigeria | 2–1 | Tunisia | Ivory Coast | Ethiopia |
| 6 | 1987 Details | Home sites | Nigeria | 2–1 | Togo | Morocco | Somalia |
| 6 | 1987 Details | Home sites | Nigeria | 3–0 | Togo | Morocco | Somalia |
| 7 | 1989 Details | Home sites | Nigeria | 2–0 | Mali | Algeria | Ivory Coast |
| 7 | 1989 Details | Home sites | Nigeria | 2–1 | Mali | Algeria | Ivory Coast |

### African U-21 Championship

| Edition | Year | Host nation | Final | Final | Final | Third Place Match | Third Place Match | Third Place Match |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Edition | Year | Host nation | Champion | Score | Second Place | Third Place | Score | Fourth Place |
| 8 | 1991 Details | Egypt | Egypt | 2–1 | Ivory Coast | Ghana | 2–0 | Zambia |
| 9 | 1993 Details | Mauritius | Ghana | 2–0 | Cameroon | Egypt | 3–0 | Ethiopia |
| 10 | 1995 Details | Nigeria | Cameroon | 4–0 | Burundi | Nigeria | 1–0 | Mali |
| 11 | 1997 Details | Morocco | Morocco | 1–0 | South Africa | Ivory Coast | 2–0 | Ghana |
| 12 | 1999 Details | Ghana | Ghana | 1–0 | Nigeria | Cameroon | 2–1 | Zambia |
| 13 | 2001 Details | Ethiopia | Angola | 2–0 | Ghana | Egypt | 2–0 | Ethiopia |

### African U-20 Championship

| Edition | Year | Host nation | Final | Final | Final | Third Place Match | Third Place Match | Third Place Match |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Edition | Year | Host nation | Champion | Score | Second Place | Third Place | Score | Fourth Place |
| 14 | 2003 Details | Burkina Faso | Egypt | 4–3 (a.e.t.) | Ivory Coast | Mali | 1–1 (5–4 p) | Burkina Faso |
| 15 | 2005 Details | Benin | Nigeria | 2–0 | Egypt | Benin | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–3 p) | Morocco |
| 16 | 2007 Details | Republic of the Congo | Congo | 1–0 | Nigeria | Gambia | 3–1 | Zambia |
| 17 | 2009 Details | Rwanda | Ghana | 2–0 | Cameroon | Nigeria | 2–1 | South Africa |
| 18 | 2011 Details | South Africa | Nigeria | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Cameroon | Egypt | 1–0 | Mali |
| 19 | 2013 Details | Algeria | Egypt | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p) | Ghana | Nigeria | 2–1 | Mali |
| 20 | 2015 Details | Senegal | Nigeria | 1–0 | Senegal | Ghana | 3–1 | Mali |

### Africa U-20 Cup of Nations

| Edition | Year | Host nation | Final | Final | Final | Third Place Match | Third Place Match | Third Place Match |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Edition | Year | Host nation | Champion | Score | Second Place | Third Place | Score | Fourth Place |
| 21 | 2017 Details | Zambia | Zambia | 2–0 | Senegal | Guinea | 2–1 | South Africa |
| 22 | 2019 Details | Niger | Mali | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–2 p) | Senegal | South Africa | 0–0 (5–3 p) | Nigeria |
| 23 | 2021 Details | Mauritania | Ghana | 2–0 | Uganda | Gambia | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p) | Tunisia |
| 24 | 2023 Details | Egypt | Future event | Future event | Future event | Future event | Future event | Future event |

## Performance by nation

| Rank | Team | Champions | Runners-up | Third-place | Fourth-place | Semi-finalists |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Nigeria | 7 (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011, 2015) | 2 (1999, 2007) | 3 (1995*, 2009, 2013) | 1 (2019) | 2 (1979, 1981) |
| 2 | Ghana | 4 (1993, 1999*, 2009, 2021) | 2 (2001, 2013) | 2 (1991, 2015) | 1 (1997) | – |
| 3 | Egypt | 4 (1981, 1991*, 2003, 2013) | 1 (2005) | 3 (1993, 2001, 2011) | – | – |
| 4 | Cameroon | 1 (1995) | 4 (1981, 1993, 2009, 2011) | 1 (1999) | – | – |
| 5 | Mali | 1 (2019) | 1 (1989) | 1 (2003) | 4 (1995, 2011, 2013, 2015) | – |
| 6 | Zambia | 1 (2017*) | – | – | 3 (1991, 1999, 2007) | – |
| 7 | Algeria | 1 (1979) | – | – | – | 3 (1981, 1983, 1989) |
| 8 | Morocco | 1 (1997*) | – | – | 1 (2005) | 1 (1987) |
| 9 | Angola | 1 (2001) | – | – | – | – |
| 9 | Congo | 1 (2007*) | – | – | – | – |
| 11 | Ivory Coast | – | 3 (1983, 1991, 2003) | 1 (1997) | – | 2 (1985, 1989) |
| 12 | Senegal | – | 3 (2015*, 2017, 2019) | – | – | – |
| 13 | South Africa | – | 1 (1997) | 1 (2019) | 2 (2009, 2017) | – |
| 14 | Guinea | – | 1 (1979) | 1 (2017) | – | 1 (1983) |
| 15 | Tunisia | – | 1 (1985) | – | 1 (2021) | – |
| 16 | Togo | – | 1 (1987) | – | – | – |
| 16 | Burundi | – | 1 (1995) | – | – | – |
| 16 | Uganda | – | 1 (2021) | – | – | – |
| 19 | Gambia | – | – | 2 (2007, 2021) | – | – |
| 20 | Benin | – | – | 1 (2005*) | – | – |
| 21 | Ethiopia | – | – | – | 2 (1993, 2001*) | 2 (1979, 1985) |
| 22 | Somalia | – | – | – | – | 1 (1987) |
| 23 | Burkina Faso | – | – | – | 1 (2003*) | – |

    * = As hosts

## Participating nations

| Team | 1979 | 1981 | 1983 | 1985 | 1987 | 1989 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1997 | 1999 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2021 | 2023 | Years |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Algeria | 1st | SF | SF | 1R | × | SF | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | × | • | • | • | • | 6 |
| Angola | × | × | 1R | 1R | × | PR | × | × | • | • | GS | 1st | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 6 |
| Benin | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | × | • | × | × | × | 3rd | × | • | • | GS | • | × | • | • | q | 3 |
| Burkina Faso | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | × | • | 4th | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | GS | QF | • | 4 |
| Burundi | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | 2nd | | • | × | • | × | • | • | • | × | • | • | GS | • | • | 2 |
| Cameroon | 2R | 2nd | QF | QF | 1R | 1R | GS | 2nd | 1st | • | 3rd | GS | • | • | GS | 2nd | 2nd | • | • | GS | • | QF | • | 16 |
| Central African Republic | × | 2R | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | × | × | • | QF | q | 3 |
| Congo | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | | × | × | • | × | × | × | 1st | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | q | 3 |
| DR Congo | × | × | × | × | × | 1R | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | 2 |
| Egypt | 1R | 1st | QF | 1R | QF | QF | 1st | 3rd | • | GS | • | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | GS | GS | 3rd | 1st | • | GS | • | × | q | 18 |
| Equatorial Guinea | × | 2R | | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | × | • | × | • | × | × | × | • | • | × | 1 |
| Eswatini | × | × | 1R | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Ethiopia | SF | 1R | × | SF | 1R | × | GS | 4th | • | • | • | 4th | • | × | • | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | 7 |
| Gabon | × | PR | 1R | × | × | QF | | × | × | × | • | • | GS | × | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | × | × | 5 |
| Gambia | × | × | 1R | PR | × | × | • | × | × | × | × | • | × | • | 3rd | • | GS | × | | • | • | 3rd | q | 6 |
| Ghana | × | × | × | 1R | | QF | 3rd | 1st | • | 4th | 1st | 2nd | GS | • | • | 1st | GS | 2nd | 3rd | • | GS | 1st | • | 14 |
| Guinea | 2nd | 1R | SF | QF | 1R | 1R | | × | GS | • | GS | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 3rd | • | • | • | 9 |
| Ivory Coast | × | × | 2nd | SF | QF | SF | 2nd | × | • | 3rd | • | × | 2nd | GS | GS | GS | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | 11 |
| Kenya | 1R | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | • | × | • | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | | • | • | × | 1 |
| Lesotho | × | × | × | × | × | QF | • | × | • | × | • | • | × | GS | • | • | GS | × | × | • | • | • | • | 3 |
| Liberia | × | × | | × | × | PR | × | × | × | × | • | × | × | × | × | • | × | • | • | • | • | × | • | 1 |
| Libya | 1R | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Malawi | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | GS | • | × | × | • | • | • | × | • | × | • | • | • | 1 |
| Mali | × | × | × | × | × | 2nd | • | • | 4th | GS | GS | GS | 3rd | GS | • | GS | 4th | 4th | 4th | GS | 1st | • | • | 13 |
| Mauritania | × | 1R | × | × | 1R | × | • | • | × | • | × | × | × | × | • | • | × | • | • | • | • | GS | • | 3 |
| Mauritius | 2R | × | × | × | × | × | × | GS | GS | • | × | • | × | × | • | • | • | • | × | • | • | × | • | 3 |
| Morocco | 2R | 1R | QF | QF | SF | 1R | • | GS | • | 1st | • | • | 4th | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | QF | • | 11 |
| Mozambique | × | × | × | PR | QF | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | q | 4 |
| Namibia | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | 1 |
| Niger | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | • | × | × | × | × | | • | • | × | • | • | • | GS | • | • | 1 |
| Nigeria | SF | SF | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | × | GS | 3rd | • | 2nd | GS | • | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 3rd | 1st | • | 4th | • | q | 18 |
| Rwanda | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | × | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | × | × | 1 |
| Senegal | × | × | PR | × | × | PR | • | GS | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | • | q | 8 |
| Somalia | × | × | × | × | SF | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | × | 1 |
| South Africa | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | 2nd | • | GS | GS | • | • | 4th | GS | • | GS | 4th | 3rd | • | • | 8 |
| South Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | Country didn't exist: part of Sudan | × | × | × | • | • | q | 1 |
| Sudan | × | × | 1R | 1R | × | × | × | × | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | 4 |
| Tanzania | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | × | × | × | • | • | • | × | • | GS | • | 1 |
| Togo | × | 1R | 1R | × | 2nd | × | × | • | • | × | • | × | • | × | • | × | • | × | • | × | • | • | • | 3 |
| Tunisia | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2nd | QF | 1R | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 4th | q | 8 |
| Uganda | × | × | × | PR | PR | × | • | • | × | × | • | • | • | × | × | • | • | • | × | | • | 2nd | q | 4 |
| Zambia | × | × | × | 1R | 1R | × | 4th | × | GS | GS | 4th | • | • | • | 4th | • | • | • | GS | 1st | • | • | q | 10 |
| Zimbabwe | × | 2R | QF | QF | | × | • | • | × | • | × | × | • | • | • | • | × | × | × | • | • | • | × | 3 |

### Legend

* 1st – Champions
* 2nd – Runners-up
* 3rd – Third place
* 4th – Fourth place
* SF – Semi-finals
* QF – Quarter-finals
* GS – Group stage
* PR – Preliminary round
* 1R – First round
* 2R – Second round
* q – Qualified
* — Hosts
* × – Did not enter
* • – Did not qualify
* × – Withdrew before qualification
* — Withdrew after qualification
* — Disqualified after qualification

## Participating nations by year of debut

Participating nations by Debut (Until 1989, counted Round 1, after 1991 counting Final 16)

### Before 1989

* 1979: Algeria, Guinea, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Egypt, Libya, Kenya, Morocco, Mauritius, Cameroon, Tunisia
* 1981: Togo, Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe, Mauritania, Central African Republic
* 1983: Gambia, Sudan, Gabon, Swaziland, Ivory Coast, Angola
* 1985: Zambia, Ghana
* 1987: Somalia
* 1989: Congo, Mali, Lesotho

### After 1991

* 1991: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Ghana, Zambia, Egypt (hosts), Ethiopia
* 1993: Nigeria, Mauritius (hosts), Morocco, Senegal
* 1995: Guinea, Burundi, Mali
* 1997: South Africa, Sudan
* 1999: Malawi, Angola
* 2003: Gabon, Burkina Faso
* 2005: Lesotho, Benin (hosts)
* 2007: Gambia, Congo (hosts)
* 2009: Rwanda (hosts)
* 2011: No new team
* 2013: Algeria, DR Congo
* 2015: No new team
* 2017: No new team
* 2019: Niger (hosts)
* 2021: Central African Republic, Mauritania (hosts), Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda
* 2023: South Sudan

## Player awards

| Year | Player of the tournament | Top goalscorer |
| - | - | - |
| 1991 | | Moustafa Sadek |
| 1993 | | |
| 1995 | | |
| 1997 | Benni McCarthy | Benni McCarthy |
| 1999 | | Ousmane Bangoura |
| 2001 | | Pedro Mantorras |
| 2003 | | Emad Moteab |
| 2005 | | Mouhcine Iajour |
| 2007 | Fabrice N'Guessi | Fwayo Tembo |
| 2009 | Ransford Osei | Ransford Osei |
| 2011 | Edgar Salli | Uche Nwofor |
| 2013 | Saleh Gomaa | Aminu Umar |
| 2015 | Yaw Yeboah | Musa Muhammed |
| 2017 | Patson Daka | Luther Singh |
| 2019 | Moussa N'Diaye | Youssouph Mamadou Badji |
| 2021 | Abdul Fatawu Issahaku | Derrick Kakooza |

## FIFA U-20 World Cup performances

| Team | 1977 | 1979 | 1981 | 1983 | 1985 | 1987 | 1989 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1997 | 1999 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Algeria | | QF | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Angola | | | | | | | | | | | | | R2 | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Benin | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | R1 | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Burkina Faso | | | | | | | | | | | | | | R2 | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Burundi | | | | | | | | | | R1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Cameroon | | | R1 | | | | | | R1 | QF | | R2 | | | | | R1 | R2 | | | | | 6 |
| Congo | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | R2 | | | | | | | 1 |
| Egypt | | | QF | | | | | R1 | | | | | 3rd | R2 | R1 | | R2 | R2 | R1 | | | | 8 |
| Ethiopia | | | | | | | | | | | | | R1 | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Gambia | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | R2 | | | | | | | 1 |
| Ghana | | | | | | | | | 2nd | | 4th | QF | 2nd | | | | 1st | | 3rd | R2 | | | 7 |
| Guinea | | R1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | R1 | | 2 |
| Ivory Coast | R1 | | | R1 | | | | R1 | | | R1 | | | R2 | | | | | | | | | 5 |
| Mali | | | | | | | R1 | | | | | 3rd | | R1 | | | | R1 | R1 | 3rd | | QF | 6 |
| Morocco | R1 | | | | | | | | | | R2 | | | | 4th | | | | | | | | 3 |
| Nigeria | | | | R1 | 3rd | R1 | 2nd | | | | | QF | | | 2nd | QF | R2 | QF | R2 | R2 | | R2 | 12 |
| Senegal | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4th | R2 | QF | 3 |
| South Africa | | | | | | | | | | | R1 | | | | | | R2 | | | | R1 | R1 | 4 |
| Togo | | | | | | R1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Tunisia | R1 | | | | R1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 |
| Zambia | | | | | | | | | | | | R1 | | | | R2 | | | | | QF | | 3 |
