2025 U20 Afcon: Flying Eagles in limbo as Ivory Coast steps down from hosting duties

Nigeria's U20 national team, the Flying Eagles are awaiting a new host for the 2025 Africa U20 Cup of Nations after Ivory Coast stepped down from hosting duties. 

As part of their tournament preparations, the Flying Eagles are undergoing a training camp in Katsina under coach Aliyu Zubairu’s guidance.

A few weeks before the start of the U20 Afcon, Ivory Coast will no longer organize the competition, scheduled from April 26 to May 18, announced the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) .

While the Ivorian government is responsible for the withdrawal, no reason has been officially given.

In a press release, the president of the FIF, Yacine Idriss Diallo, stated that 'by official letter, the Government notified the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) of the withdrawal of Côte d'Ivoire as host country of the U20 African Cup of Nations'.

Ivory Coast's withdrawal is a major blow for the Confederation of African Football, which could well see its 2025 calendar disrupted once again, with the U20 Afcon threatened with postponement and the African Nations Championshp (CHAN) already pushed back from February to August 2025.

CAF now faces a race against time, with under a month to find a replacement host following the sudden withdrawal of Ivory Coast.

The Flying Eagles are set to compete in Group B, where they will take on former champions Egypt and Morocco, along with South Africa.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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