Official: Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo qualify for the 2026 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations | OneFootball

Both teams dominated the tournament

Official: Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo qualify for the 2026 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations

The curtain fell on February 27 on the 2026 edition of the UNIFFAC U17 tournament. Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will represent Central Africa in the next Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.

As was the case in 2025, the UNIFFAC U17 title returns to Cameroon. The young Indomitable Lions asserted total dominance, winning all three of their matches, including the final game (2-0) against the host nation.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo finished second, thanks to victories over the Central African Republic and Gabon.

The 2026 edition was marked by two major incidents that shook the tournament. The first was the last-minute withdrawal of the Republic of the Congo, as FECOFOOT announced its pullout just one day before kickoff due to administrative disputes with the Ministry of Sports.

The second headline-grabbing event was the disqualification of Equatorial Guinea over age fraud involving six of its players.Despite the opening whistle being postponed from February 17 to February 18, the tournament went ahead and the Tata Raphaël Stadium in Kinshasa hosted a vibrant atmosphere.