# U-20 Africa Cup of Nations

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, previously known as the African Youth Championship and the African U-20 Championship, is the biennial international 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.

## Tournament summary
### African Youth Championship (Qualification)

| 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 | Home sites | Algeria | 2–1 | Guinea | Ethiopia | Nigeria |
| 2 | 1979 | Home sites | Algeria | 2–3 | Guinea | Ethiopia | Nigeria |
| 3 | 1981 | Home sites | Egypt | 2–0 | Cameroon | Algeria | Nigeria |
| 3 | 1981 | Home sites | Egypt | 1–1 | Cameroon | Algeria | Nigeria |
| 4 | 1983 | Home sites | Nigeria | 2–2 | Ivory Coast | Algeria | Guinea |
| 4 | 1983 | Home sites | Nigeria | 2–1 | Ivory Coast | Algeria | Guinea |
| 5 | 1985 | Home sites | Nigeria | 1–1 | Tunisia | Ivory Coast | Ethiopia |
| 5 | 1985 | Home sites | Nigeria | 2–1 | Tunisia | Ivory Coast | Ethiopia |
| 6 | 1987 | Home sites | Nigeria | 2–1 | Togo | Morocco | Somalia |
| 6 | 1987 | Home sites | Nigeria | 3–0 | Togo | Morocco | Somalia |
| 7 | 1989 | Home sites | Nigeria | 2–0 | Mali | Algeria | Ivory Coast |
| 7 | 1989 | Home sites | Nigeria | 2–1 | Mali | Algeria | Ivory Coast |

### African Youth Championship (Host)

| 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 | Egypt | Egypt | 2–1 | Ivory Coast | Ghana | 2–0 | Zambia |
| 9 | 1993 | Mauritius | Ghana | 2–0 | Cameroon | Egypt | 3–0 | Ethiopia |
| 10 | 1995 | Nigeria | Cameroon | 4–0 | Burundi | Nigeria | 1–0 | Mali |
| 11 | 1997 | Morocco | Morocco | 1–0 | South Africa | Ivory Coast | 2–0 | Ghana |
| 12 | 1999 | Ghana | Ghana | 1–0 | Nigeria | Cameroon | 2–1 | Zambia |
| 13 | 2001 | Ethiopia | Angola | 2–0 | Ghana | Egypt | 2–0 | Ethiopia |
| 14 | 2003 | Burkina Faso | Egypt | 4–3 (a.e.t.) | Ivory Coast | Mali | 1–1 (5–4 p) | Burkina Faso |
| 15 | 2005 | Benin | Nigeria | 2–0 | Egypt | Benin | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–3 p) | Morocco |
| 16 | 2007 | Republic of the Congo | Congo | 1–0 | Nigeria | Gambia | 3–1 | Zambia |
| 17 | 2009 | Rwanda | Ghana | 2–0 | Cameroon | Nigeria | 2–1 | South Africa |

### 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 |
| 18 | 2011 | South Africa | Nigeria | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Cameroon | Egypt | 1–0 | Mali |
| 19 | 2013 | Algeria | Egypt | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p) | Ghana | Nigeria | 2–1 | Mali |
| 20 | 2015 | Senegal | Nigeria | 1–0 | Senegal | Ghana | 3–1 | Mali |

### U-20 Africa 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 | Zambia | Zambia | 2–0 | Senegal | Guinea | 2–1 | South Africa |
| 22 | 2019 | Niger | Mali | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–2 p) | Senegal | South Africa | 0–0 (5–3 p) | Nigeria |
| 23 | 2021 | Mauritania | Ghana | 2–0 | Uganda | Gambia | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p) | Tunisia |
| 24 | 2023 | Egypt | Senegal | 2–0 | Gambia | Nigeria | 4–0 | Tunisia |
| 25 | 2025 | Ivory Coast | | – | | | – | |

## 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) | 4 (1995*, 2009, 2013, 2023) | 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 | Senegal | 1 (2023) | 3 (2015*, 2017, 2019) | – | – | – |
| 6 | Mali | 1 (2019) | 1 (1989) | 1 (2003) | 4 (1995, 2011, 2013, 2015) | – |
| 7 | Zambia | 1 (2017*) | – | – | 3 (1991, 1999, 2007) | – |
| 8 | Algeria | 1 (1979) | – | – | – | 3 (1981, 1983, 1989) |
| 9 | Morocco | 1 (1997*) | – | – | 1 (2005) | 1 (1987) |
| 10 | Angola | 1 (2001) | – | – | – | – |
| 10 | Congo | 1 (2007*) | – | – | – | – |
| 12 | Ivory Coast | – | 3 (1983, 1991, 2003) | 1 (1997) | – | 2 (1985, 1989) |
| 13 | Gambia | – | 1 (2023) | 2 (2007, 2021) | – | – |
| 14 | South Africa | – | 1 (1997) | 1 (2019) | 2 (2009, 2017) | – |
| 15 | Guinea | – | 1 (1979) | 1 (2017) | – | 1 (1983) |
| 16 | Tunisia | – | 1 (1985) | – | 2 (2021, 2023) | – |
| 17 | Togo | – | 1 (1987) | – | – | – |
| 17 | Burundi | – | 1 (1995) | – | – | – |
| 17 | Uganda | – | 1 (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 | 2025 | Years |
| Algeria | 1st | SF | SF | 1R | × | SF | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | × | • | • | • | • | • | 6 |
| Angola | × | × | 1R | 1R | × | PR | × | × | • | • | GS | 1st | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 6 |
| Benin | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | × | • | × | × | × | 3rd | × | • | • | GS | • | × | • | • | QF | • | 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 | GS | • | 3 |
| Congo | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | | × | × | • | × | × | × | 1st | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | QF | | 4 |
| DR Congo | × | × | × | × | × | 1R | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | q | 3 |
| Egypt | 1R | 1st | QF | 1R | QF | QF | 1st | 3rd | • | GS | • | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | GS | GS | 3rd | 1st | • | GS | • | × | GS | | 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 | 2nd | • | 6 |
| Ghana | × | × | × | 1R | | QF | 3rd | 1st | • | 4th | 1st | 2nd | GS | • | • | 1st | GS | 2nd | 3rd | • | GS | 1st | • | q | 15 |
| Guinea | 2nd | 1R | SF | QF | 1R | 1R | | × | GS | • | GS | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 3rd | • | • | • | • | 9 |
| Ivory Coast | × | × | 2nd | SF | QF | SF | 2nd | × | • | 3rd | • | × | 2nd | GS | GS | GS | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | q | 11 |
| Kenya | 1R | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | • | × | • | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | | • | • | × | q | 2 |
| 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 | • | q | 12 |
| Mozambique | × | × | × | PR | QF | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | GS | • | 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 | • | 3rd | q | 19 |
| Rwanda | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | × | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | × | × | • | 1 |
| Senegal | × | × | PR | × | × | PR | • | GS | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | • | 1st | q | 9 |
| Sierra Leone | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | × | × | • | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | q | 1 |
| Somalia | × | × | × | × | SF | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | × | × | 1 |
| South Africa | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | 2nd | • | GS | GS | • | • | 4th | GS | • | GS | 4th | 3rd | • | • | q | 9 |
| 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 | × | × | × | • | • | QF | • | 1 |
| Sudan | × | × | 1R | 1R | × | × | × | × | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | 4 |
| Tanzania | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | × | × | × | • | • | • | × | • | GS | • | q | 2 |
| Togo | × | 1R | 1R | × | 2nd | × | × | • | • | × | • | × | • | × | • | × | • | × | • | × | • | • | • | • | 3 |
| Tunisia | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2nd | QF | 1R | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 4th | 4th | | 8 |
| Uganda | × | × | × | PR | PR | × | • | • | × | × | • | • | • | × | × | • | • | • | × | | • | 2nd | QF | • | 4 |
| Zambia | × | × | × | 1R | 1R | × | 4th | × | GS | GS | 4th | • | • | • | 4th | • | • | • | GS | 1st | • | • | GS | q | 11 |
| 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, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia
* 1981: Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, Togo, Zimbabwe
* 1983: Angola, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Sudan, Swaziland
* 1985: Ghana, Zambia
* 1987: Somalia
* 1989: Congo, Lesotho, Mali

### After 1991

* 1991: Cameroon, Egypt (hosts), Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Zambia
* 1993: Mauritius (hosts), Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal
* 1995: Burundi, Guinea, Mali
* 1997: South Africa, Sudan
* 1999: Angola, Malawi
* 2003: Burkina Faso, Gabon
* 2005: Benin (hosts), Lesotho
* 2007: Congo (hosts), Gambia
* 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
* 2025: Kenya, Sierra Leone

### 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 |
| 2023 | Lamine Camara | Pape Diop |

## 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 | 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 | | | | | | | R2 | 2 |
| 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 | | 7 |
| Morocco | R1 | | | | | | | | | | R2 | | | | 4th | | | | | | | | | 3 |
| Nigeria | | | | R1 | 3rd | R1 | 2nd | | | | | QF | | | 2nd | QF | R2 | QF | R2 | R2 | | R2 | QF | 13 |
| Senegal | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4th | R2 | QF | R1 | 4 |
| South Africa | | | | | | | | | | | R1 | | | | | | R2 | | | | R1 | R1 | | 4 |
| Togo | | | | | | R1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Tunisia | R1 | | | | R1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | R2 | 3 |
| Zambia | | | | | | | | | | | | R1 | | | | R2 | | | | | QF | | | 3 |