The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially announced the Central African Republic as the replacement for Congo Brazzaville in the upcoming U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Nigeriasoccernet.com can report.
Congo was disqualified from the tournament following FIFA and CAF's suspension of the country due to political interference. While Cameroon had initially hoped to take Congo’s place, CAF’s Youth Competitions Committee reinstated the Central African Republic, as they were the last team eliminated by Congo after a 2-0 defeat in the semi-finals.
The Central African Football Federation (FCF) confirmed the decision on Saturday via its official Facebook page, stating:
"Following the suspension of Congo by FIFA, the CAF Youth Competitions Committee has decided to reinstate the Central African Republic for the TotalEnergies U20 Africa Cup of Nations, Côte d'Ivoire 2025."
Updated U20 AFCON Group A:
? Côte d'Ivoire
?? Central African Republic (Replacement for Congo)
?? DR Congo
?? Ghana
?? Tanzania
The tournament promises to be highly competitive, with the top four teams securing qualification for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile later this year.