2015 African U-17 Championship

The 2015 African U-17 Championship was the 11th edition of the biennial international youth football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for players aged 17 and below. The tournament took place in Niamey, Niger, and was originally scheduled to be held between 2 and 16 May.^[1] However, the date of the opening match was pushed forward to 15 February, with the tournament scheduled to conclude with the final on 1 March.^[2]

2015 African U-17 Championship

Coupe d'Afrique des nations des moins de 17 ans 2015
Tournament details
Host country	Niger
Dates	15 February – 1 March
Teams	8 (from 1 confederation)
Venue	2 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions	Mali (1st title)
Runners-up	South Africa
Third place	Guinea
Fourth place	Nigeria
Tournament statistics
Matches played	16
Goals scored	45 (2.81 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Victor Osimhen (4 goals)
← 2013 2017 →

The semi-finalists of the tournament qualified for the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.^[3] Mali won the tournament, and were joined by South Africa, Guinea, and Nigeria as CAF qualifiers for the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Qualification

Main article: 2015 African U-17 Championship qualification

The qualifiers were played between June and September 2014. At the end of the qualification phase, seven teams joined the hosts Niger.

Player eligibility

During CAF Executive Committee meetings held on 21 and 22 September 2013, the CAF Medical Committee was instructed to continue the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to determine the ages of players and consequently their eligibility to participate in the qualifying stages of the tournament. It was also directed to ensure the authenticity of the process as well as the identity of the players involved.^[4]

Qualified teams

•  Cameroon
•  Guinea
•  Ivory Coast
•  Mali
•  Niger (hosts)
•  Nigeria
•  South Africa
•  Zambia

Disqualified

• Team Ghana was disqualified on 26 October, after medical test provided by the African Confederation after their first leg play off victory against Cameroon found that one of their players failed age eligibility confirmations. Ghana appealed but failed.^[5]

Venues

Cities	Venues	Capacity
Niamey	Stade Général Seyni Kountché	35,000
	Stade Municipal	10,000

Match officials

The referees were:^[6]

Referees

• Mustapha Ghorbal
• Helder Martins de Carvalho
• Antoine Max Depadoux Effa Essouma
• Ali Mohamed Adelaid
• Lazard Tsiba Kamba
• Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo
• Joaquin Esono Eyang
• Noureddine El Jaafari
• Gomno Daouda
• Ferdinand Anietie Udoh
• Daouda Kebe
• Kokou Hougnimon Fagla
• Denis Batte

Assistant referees

• Babadjide Bienvenu Dina
• Soulaimane Amaldine
• Ahmed Hossam Taha
• Temesgin Samuel Atango
• Marius Donatien Tan
• Abdoulaye Sylla
• Gilbert Cheruiyot
• Souru Phatsoane
• Arsénio Chadreque Marengula
• Abdourahamane Diarra Soumana
• Ababacar Sene
• Serigne Cheikh Toure
• Hamza Hagi Abdi
• Mohammed Abdallah Ibrahim
• Majed Rhouma
• Tapfumanei Mutengwa

Draw

The draw for the final tournament was held on 21 December 2014, 11:00 UTC+02:00, at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.^[7] Niger and Ivory Coast were seeded and placed into Groups A and B respectively.^[8]

Squads

Main article: 2015 African U-17 Championship squads

Each team can register a squad of 21 players (three of whom must be goalkeepers).^[3]

Group stage

The group winners and runners-up advanced to the semi-finals and qualified for the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup.^[9][10]

Tiebreakers

The teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:^[3]

1. Number of points obtained in games between the teams concerned;
2. Goal difference in games between the teams concerned;
3. Goals scored in games between the teams concerned;
4. Goal difference in all games;
5. Goals scored in all games;
6. Fair Play point system in which the number of yellow and red cards are evaluated;
7. Drawing of lots.

All times UTC+01:00.

Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Nigeria	3	2	1	0	6	2	+4	7	Knockout stage and 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup
2	Guinea	3	1	1	1	3	3	0	4
3	Zambia	3	1	0	2	3	5	−2	3
4	Niger (H)	3	1	0	2	3	5	−2	3

Source: CAF
(H) Hosts

15 February 2015

15:00

Niger	0–2	Nigeria
	Report	Osimhen 17' Nwakali 28'

Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey

Referee: Helder Martins de Carvalho (Angola)

15 February 2015

18:00

Guinea	1–0	Zambia
A. Touré 25'	Report

Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey

Referee: Ali Mohamed Adelaïd (Comoros)

---

18 February 2015

16:00

Nigeria	1–1	Guinea
Nwakali 85' (pen.)	Report	Diallo 14' (pen.)

Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey

Referee: Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo)

18 February 2015

19:00

Zambia	2–1	Niger
Daka 6' Museba 17'	Report	Gonda 66'

Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey

Referee: Joaquin Esono Eyang (Equatorial Guinea)

---

21 February 2015

18:30

Niger	2–1	Guinea
Boubabcar 3' Lara 40'	Report	Bangoura 28'

Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey

Referee: Antoine Effa Essouma (Cameroon)

21 February 2015

18:30

Nigeria	3–1	Zambia
Osimhen 36', 48' Nwakali 45+1'	Report	Daka 61'

Stade Municipal, Niamey

Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)

Group B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Mali	3	2	1	0	6	3	+3	7	Knockout stage and 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup
2	South Africa	3	1	2	0	7	5	+2	5
3	Ivory Coast	3	1	1	1	4	4	0	4
4	Cameroon	3	0	0	3	3	8	−5	0

Source: CAF

16 February 2015

16:00

Ivory Coast	2–2	South Africa
Kouao 75' Doumbia 83'	Report	Mbatha 37' Mayo 61'

Stade Municipal, Niamey

Referee: Denis Batte (Uganda)

16 February 2015

19:00

Mali	3–1	Cameroon
Sangaré 49' Koita 79' B. Traoré 89'	Report	Hongla 62'

Stade Municipal, Niamey

Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)

---

19 February 2015

16:00

South Africa	2–2	Mali
Mkatshana 74' Mohamme 81'	Report	Maiga 18' B. Traoré 60'

Stade Municipal, Niamey

Referee: Kokou Fagla (Togo)

19 February 2015

19:00

Cameroon	1–2	Ivory Coast
Bayemi 3'	Report	Kouadio 79' Doumbia 85' (pen.)

Stade Municipal, Niamey

Referee: Noureddine El Jaafari (Morocco)

---

22 February 2015

16:30

Ivory Coast	0–1	Mali
	Report	B. Traoré 35'

Stade Municipal, Niamey

Referee: Helder Martins de Carvalho (Angola)

22 February 2015

16:30

South Africa	3–1	Cameroon
Achille 3' (o.g.) Maluleke 45' (pen.), 58'	Report	Bayemi 49'

Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey

Referee: Ferdinand Udoh Aniete (Nigeria)

Knockout stage

In the knockout stages, if a match is level at the end of normal playing time, kicks from the penalty mark are used to determine the winner (no extra time shall be played).^[3]

	Semi-finals				Final
	25 February
	Nigeria	0
					1 March
	South Africa	1
					South Africa	0
	26 February
					Mali	2
	Mali	2
	Guinea	1
					Third place
					1 March
					Nigeria	1
					Guinea	3

Semi-finals

25 February 2015

16:00

Nigeria	0–1	South Africa
	Report	Mayo 27'

Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey

Referee: Noureddine El Jaafari (Morocco)

---

26 February 2015

16:00

Mali	2–1	Guinea
Koita 25' Malle 53'	Report	A. Touré 51'

Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey

Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)

Third place match

1 March 2015

16:00

Nigeria	1–3	Guinea
Osimhen 30'	Report	A. Touré 35' Keita 40', 53'

Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey

Referee: Gomno Daouda (Niger)

Final

1 March 2015

19:00

South Africa	0–2	Mali
	Report	Bagayoko 67' Malle 79'

Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey

Referee: Noureddine El Jaafari (Morocco)

Goalscorers

4 goals

• Victor Osimhen

3 goals

• Aboubacar Touré
• Boubacar Traoré
• Kelechi Nwakali

2 goals

• Christian Bayemi
• Abdoulaye Jules Keita
• Idrissa Doumbia
• Sekou Koita
• Aly Malle
• Nelson Maluleke
• Eric Mayo
• Patson Daka

1 goal

• Martin Hongla
• N'guessan Jonas Kouadio
• Koffi Kouao
• Naby Bangoura
• Sam Diallo
• Siaka Bagayoko
• Sidiki Maiga
• Mamadou Sangaré
• Issoufou Boubabcar
• Malick Saidou Gonda
• Ismael Rabiou Lara
• Sibongakonke Mbatha
• Luvuyo Katlego Mkatshana
• Katlego Mohamme
• Wayne Museba

Own goal

• Fokem Achille (against South Africa)

See also

• 2015 African U-20 Championship