South Africa U17 national team, popularly known as Amajimbos, have been handed a ticket to the 2025 CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations even after failing to qualify for the tournament.
Amajimbos have joined 2024 COSAFA finalist Zambia and Angola as the representatives of the region after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) extended the number of participating nations in the continental tournament to 16 from the initial 12.
South Africa had narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 15th edition of the junior AFCON after falling to Zambia in the 2024 COSAFA U17 Championships semi-finals, which were played in December 2024.
When & where is the tournament?
However, they got a lifeline following CAF’s decision to increase the number of participating teams thanks to their performance that made them the third-best team and will now represent Southern Africa in the U17 AFCON.
The 2025 CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations will be held in Morocco between March 30 and April 19 where 10 countries will book a ticket to the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup in November 2025.
The draw for the 2025 CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations is yet to take place to determine which group South Africa will be placed in.
