The U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, known for short as the U-20 AFCON and for sponsorship purposes as TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations and previously known as the African Youth Championship and the African U-20 Championship, is the biennial African youth football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for its nations consisting of players under the age of 20. It serves as the African qualification tournament for the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

History In 1979, FIFA created a world championship for upcoming footballers, causing CAF to install a home-and-away qualification tournament for African nations called the African Youth Championship which also crowned the tournament's champions. In 1991, CAF upgraded the tournament into a full-scale tournament contested by 8 in a chosen host nation.

CAF changed the name of this competition to the African U-20 Championship for the 2011 edition so as to distinguish it from the U-17 competition. On 6 August 2015, the CAF Executive Committee decided to change the tournament's name to the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in line with the flagship Africa Cup of Nations tournament. However, the name on the official competition logo after 2015 reads as the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.

On 21 July 2016, French energy and petroleum giant TotalEnergies (formerly Total S.A.) secured an 8-year sponsorship package from CAF to support its competitions.

Since the 2021 edition, the tournament has been contested by 12 teams.

On 28 April 2026, CAF awarded Ghana the hosting rights for the upcoming 2027 edition, thus Ghana will host its second tournament edition and first since 1999 (which they won) in the same year the country will celebrate 70 years of independence.

Tournament summary

African Youth Championship (Qualification)

EditionYearHost nationFinalThird PlaceChampionScoreSecond Place21979 Home sites2–1 2–331981 Home sites2–01–141983 Home sites2–22–151985 Home sites1–12–161987 Home sites2–13–071989 Home sites2–02–1

African Youth Championship (Host) EditionYearHost nationFinalThird Place MatchChampionScoreSecond PlaceThird PlaceScoreFourth Place819912–12–0919932–03–01019954–01–01119971–02–01219991–02–11320012–02–01420034–3 1–1 1520052–01–1 1620071–03–11720092–02–1

African U-20 Championship EditionYearHost nationFinalThird Place MatchChampionScoreSecond PlaceThird PlaceScoreFourth Place1820113–2 1–01920131–1 2–12020151–03–1

U-20 Africa Cup of Nations EditionYearHost nationFinalThird Place MatchChampionScoreSecond PlaceThird PlaceScoreFourth Place2120172–02–12220191–1 0–02320212–00–0 2420232–04–02520251–01–1262027––

Performance by nation RankTeamChampionsRunners-upThird-placeFourth-placeSemi-finalists 17 (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011, 2015)2 (1999, 2007)5 (1995*, 2009, 2013, 2023, 2025)1 (2019)2 (1979, 1981) 24 (1993, 1999*, 2009, 2021)2 (2001, 2013)2 (1991, 2015)1 (1997) – 34 (1981, 1991*, 2003, 2013)1 (2005)3 (1993, 2001, 2011)1 (2025) – 41 (1995)4 (1981, 1993, 2009, 2011)1 (1999) – – 51 (2023) 3 (2015*, 2017, 2019) – – – 61 (2019)1 (1989)1 (2003)4 (1995, 2011, 2013, 2015) – 71 (2025)1 (1997)1 (2019)2 (2009, 2017) – 81 (1997*) 1 (2025) –1 (2005)1 (1987) 91 (2017*) – –3 (1991, 1999, 2007) – 101 (1979) – – –3 (1981, 1983, 1989) 111 (2001) – – – –1 (2007*) – – – – 12 –3 (1983, 1991, 2003)1 (1997) –2 (1985, 1989)13 –1 (2023)2 (2007, 2021) – – 15 –1 (1979)1 (2017) –1 (1983) 16 –1 (1985) –2 (2021, 2023) – 17 –1 (1987) – – – –1 (1995) – – – –1 (2021) – – –20 – –1 (2005*) – – 21 – – –2 (1993, 2001*)2 (1979, 1985) 22 – – – –1 (1987) 23 – – –1 (2003*) – * = As hosts

Champions by region Regional federationChampion(s)Title(s)WAFU (West Africa)Nigeria (7), Ghana (4), Senegal (1), Mali (1)13UNAF (North Africa)Egypt (4), Morocco (1), Algeria (1)6COSAFA (Southern Africa)South Africa (1), Zambia (1), Angola (1)3UNIFFAC (Central Africa)Cameroon (1), Congo (1)2CECAFA (East Africa) -0

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 2025 2027 Years 1st SF SF 1R × SF • • • • • • • • • • GS × • • • • • 6 × × 1R 1R × PR × × • • GS 1st • GS • • • • • • • • • • 6 × × × × × × • × × • × × × 3rd × • • GS • × • • QF • 3 × × × × × × × × • • × • 4th • GS • • • • • GS QF • • q 5 × × × × × × × × 2nd • × • × • • • × • • GS • • • 2 2R 2nd QF QF 1R 1R GS 2nd 1st • 3rd GS • • GS 2nd 2nd • • GS • QF • • 16 × 2R × × × ×× × × × × × × × × × • × × × • QF GS GS 4 × × × × × × × × × • × × × 1st • • • GS • • • QF 3 × × × × × 1R × × × × × × × ×× • • GS • • • • • QF 3 1R 1st QF 1R QF QF 1st 3rd • GS • 3rd 1st 2nd GS GS 3rd 1st • GS • × GS 4th 19 × 2R × × × × × × × × • • × • × • × × × • • × • 1 × × 1R × × × × × × × • • • × × × × × • • • • • • 1 SF 1R × SF 1R × GS 4th • • • 4th • × • × × × • • • • • • 7 × PR 1R × × QF × × × • • GS × • • • GS • • • × × • 5× × 1R PR × × • × × × × • × • 3rd • GS × • • 3rd 2nd • 6 × × × 1R QF 3rd 1st • 4th 1st 2nd GS • • 1st GS 2nd 3rd • GS 1st • QF q 16 2nd 1R SF QF 1R 1R × GS • GS × • • • • • • • 3rd • • • • 9×× 2nd SF QF SF 2nd × • 3rd • × 2nd GS GS GS • • GS • • • • • 11 1R × × × × × × • × • × • × × • • • • • • • × GS 2 × × × × × QF • × • × • • × GS • • GS ×× • • • • • 3 × × × × PR × × × × • × × × × • × • • • • × • • 1 1R × ×× × × × × × × • • • • • • × • • • • • • • 1×× × × × × × × • × GS • × × • • • × • × • • • • 1× × × × × 2nd • • 4th GS GS GS 3rd GS • GS 4th 4th 4th GS 1st • • • 13 × 1R × × 1R × • • × • × × × × • • × • • • • GS • × 3 2R × × × ××× GS GS • × • ×× • • • • × • • × • × 3 2R 1R QF QF SF 1R • GS • 1st • • 4th GS • • • • • • • QF • 2nd 12 × × × PR QF × × × × × • • • • • • • • • • • GS GS • 4 × × × × × × × × × × × • • • • • • • • • • GS • • 1 × × × × × × • × • × × × × • • × • • • GS • • • 1 SF SF 1st 1st 1st 1st × GS 3rd • 2nd GS • 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 3rd 1st • 4th • 3rd 3rd q 20 × × × × × × × × × × • × × • • GS • • • • • × × • 1× × PR × × PR • GS GS • • • • • • • • • 2nd 2nd 2nd • 1st QF 9 × × × × × × • × × × • × × • • • • • • • • • • QF 1 × × × × SF × × × × × × • • • × × × × • • • • × × 1 × × × × × × × × • 2nd • GS GS • • 4th GS • GS 4th 3rd • • 1st 9Country didn't exist: part of Sudan × × × • • QF • 1 × × 1R 1R × × × × • GS • • • • • • • • • GS • • • • 4 × × × × × × × × × • • • • × × × • • • × • GS • GS 2× 1R 1R × 2nd ×× • • × • × • × • × • × • × • • • • 3 2R 2R 1R 2nd QF 1R • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4th 4th GS 8×× × PR PR × • • × × • • • × × • • • × • 2nd QF • 4 × × × 1R 1R × 4th × GS GS 4th • • • 4th • • • GS 1st • • GS GS 11 × 2R QF QF × • • × • × × • • • • ×× × • • • × • 3

Legend

– Champions – Runners-up – Third place – Fourth place – 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: , , , , , , , , , , 1981: , , , , 1983: , , , , , 1985: , 1987: 1989: , ,

After 1991 1991: , (hosts), , , , 1993: (hosts), , , 1995: , , 1997: , 1999: , 2003: , 2005: (hosts), 2007: (hosts), 2009: (hosts) 2011: No new team 2013: , 2015: No new team 2017: No new team 2019: (hosts) 2021: , (hosts), , , , , 2023: 2025: ,

Player awards

YearPlayer of the tournamentTop goalscorer1991 Moustafa Sadek199319951997 Benni McCarthy Benni McCarthy1999 Ousmane Bangoura2001 António Mendonça Pedro Mantorras2003 Emad Moteab2005 Mouhcine Iajour2007 Fabrice N'Guessi Fwayo Tembo2009 Ransford Osei Ransford Osei2011 Edgar Salli Uche Nwofor2013 Saleh Gomaa Aminu Umar2015 Yaw Yeboah Musa Muhammed2017 Patson Daka Luther Singh2019 Moussa N'Diaye Youssouph Mamadou Badji2021 Abdul Fatawu Issahaku Derrick Kakooza2023 Lamine Camara Pape Diop2025 Tylon Smith Momoh Kamara

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 2023 2025 2027 2029 Total QF 1 R2 1 R1 1 R2 1 R1 1 R1 R1 QF R2 R1 R2 6 R2 1 QF R1 3rd R2 R1 R2 R2 R1 R1 9 R1 1 R2 R2 2 2nd 4th QF 2nd 1st 3rd R2 7 R1 R1 2 R1 R1 R1 R1 R2 5 R1 3rd R1 R1 R1 3rd QF 7 R1 R2 4th 1st 4 R1 3rd R1 2nd QF 2nd QF R2 QF R2 R2 R2 QF R2 14 4th R2 QF R1 4 R1 R2 R1 R1 R2 5 R1 1 R1 R1 R2 3 R1 R2 QF 3

Legend

1st – Champions 2nd – Runners-up 3rd – Third place 4th – Fourth place

QF – Quarterfinals R2 – Round 2 R1 – Round 1      – Hosts q – Qualified for upcoming edition

See also Africa Cup of Nations U-23 Africa Cup of Nations U-17 Africa Cup of Nations FIFA U-20 World Cup

Notes

References

External links

Tournament records and statistics at RSSSF (Archive1, , Archive3, Archive4) Regulations -- Edition 2020 (Archive1, , Archive 3)