News

Changes in U-20 & U-17 AFCON qualifiers

Dec 13, 2019

During the continent football governing body’s Executive committee meeting which was held on Thursday, November 21, 2019, in Cairo, it was confirmed that the qualifiers of the next edition of the U-20 & U-17 Africa Cup of Nations will be played as a zonal final tournament by the 6 zones of CAF.

Each zone will organize a final tournament that will qualify to CAF final tournament: AFCON U-17, Morocco 2021 and AFCON U-20, Mauritania 2021.

The Zones are responsible for opening the engagements, the choice of the host country subject to CAF validation, and the format of the tournament.

Two teams will qualify from each zone except of the zone of the host country of CAF final tournament (Morocco for the U-17 and Mauritania for the U-20) which will qualify only one team in addition to the team of the host country which is automatically qualified.
[12:41, 13/12/2019] Tumo Mpatane: Concerning the format of the final tournament, the Executive Committee decided to adopt the attached format.

As for the dates of the qualifiers of the U-17 zonal final tournaments, they should be played from 15th June to end July 2020.

The U-20 zonal final tournaments should be played from 1st October to 21st October 2020 or from 4th to 24th November 2020

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Botswana and Algeria Strengthen Sports Ties, with Football Development in Focus

Francistown, Botswana – The Honourable Minister of Sport & Arts, Mr. Jacob Kelebeng, recently welcomed a courtesy visit from Honourable Walid Sadi, Algeria’s Minister of Youth & Sports, along with His Excellency Ambassador Abdelmalek Tigharhar of Algeria.

The discussions centered on fostering collaboration between the two nations in sports development, with particular emphasis on Paralympics, football, boxing, and athletics. This engagement presents valuable opportunities for Botswana to benefit from Algeria’s advanced sporting infrastructure, training programs, and technical expertise.

As part of the visit, Honourable Sadi also met with BFA President Mr. Tariq Babitseng, alongside Minister Kelebeng. Discussions highlighted Algeria’s well-established football development structures, coaching programs, and talent identification pathways, which could serve as a benchmark for Botswana’s football growth strategy.

BFA President Emphasizes Football Development

Speaking on the significance of the engagement, BFA President Mr. Tariq Babitseng expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, noting that Botswana stands to gain valuable insights from Algeria’s football model.

“Football development remains a key priority for the BFA, and this engagement allows us to benchmark against one of Africa’s leading football nations. Algeria’s structured approach to grassroots football, coaching development, and high-performance training presents a great learning opportunity for Botswana. We are excited about the potential collaborations that will enhance our football structures and elevate the sport in the country,” said Babitseng.

The Minister was accompanied by Permanent Secretary Ms. Nancy Chengeta of the Ministry of Sport & Arts (MOSA), along with key sports leadership figures, including:

✅ BNSC Chairperson: Mr. Marumo Morule

✅ BNSC CEO: Mr. Tuelo D. Serufho

✅ BNSC Executive Management

✅ Botswana Football Association (BFA) Executives

✅ Various dignitaries and stakeholders

The BFA remains committed to building strategic international partnerships that contribute to the growth, professionalization, and long-term sustainability of football in Botswana.