The draw for the African qualifiers of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup took place on Monday, April 10, 2021 in Cairo behind closed doors due to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. The draw was broadcast on CAF's digital platforms.
As a result of the covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the tournament, which was to be hosted by Costa Rica and Panama in August/September 2020, was postponed to January/February 2021 and subsequently cancelled. Costa Rica will host the next edition in 2022 after Panama backed out of co-hosting due to concerns regarding the pandemic.
A record 40 teams have entered the qualifiers which will be played over five rounds. The two winners of the final round will claim Africa's two spots at the competition.
Here is the schedule for the first two rounds (results will be updated when they become available):
First Round (1st leg: 5, 6, 7 August 2021; 2nd leg: 19, 20, 21 August 2021)
Picture credit: cafonline.com
M1 – Djibouti v Eritrea
M2 – South Sudan v Rwanda
M3 – Eswatini v Mozambique
M4- Mauritania v Tunisia
M5- Niger v Benin
M6 – Togo v Mali
M7 - DR Congo v Sao Tome
M8 – Equatorial Guinea v Central African Republic
Second Round (1st leg: 23, 24, 25 September 2021; 2nd leg: 7, 8, 9 October 2021)
Picture credit: cafonline.com
S1 – Winner M1 v Tanzania
S2 – Burundi v Namibia
S3 – Angola v Botswana
S4 – Winner M2 v Ethiopia
S5 – Kenya v Uganda
S6 – Winner M3 v South Africa
S7 – Zambia v Malawi
S8 – Winner M4 v Ghana
S9 – Winner M5 v Morocco
S10 – Gambia v Burkina Faso
S11 – Winner M6 – Senegal
S12 – Guinea v Sierra Leone
S13 – Gabon v Guinea Bissau
S14 – Winner M7 v Cameroon
S15 – Egypt v Congo
S16 – Winner M8 v Nigeria
Quick facts about the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup
Number of editions: 9
Current champion: Japan (2018)
Highest finish for an African country: Nigeria (second place, in 2010 and 2014)
African countries at the tournament: Nigeria (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018); DR Congo (2006, 2008); Ghana (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018)