U-17 AFCON: Cameroon bows out after Egypt defeat

Photo Credit: @CAF_Online/X

Egypt came from behind to beat Cameroon 2-1 in their final Group B encounter at the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations. A first half red card left Cameroon with ten men, ultimately contributing to their early exit from the competition in Morocco.

Egypt started the match on the front foot, dominating the early exchanges. Abdel El Zoghby fired over the bar in the second minute, marking the first chance of the game. The tide turned in the 25th minute when Cameroon center-back Chris Pondy was sent off.

Despite the setback, the Central African side took the lead in the 33rd minute through a well-taken penalty by Andre Emini. Egypt responded just before halftime, with Hamza Abdelkarim converting a penalty of his own to level the score.

The second half was evenly contested, with both sides creating opportunities to win the match. El Zoghby headed wide while David Bondoma missed a golden chance for Cameroon. In the 66th minute, a poor clearance by Cameroon goalkeeper Junior Abou allowed El Zoghby to capitalize and score into an empty net, giving Egypt the lead.

Egypt held on to secure the 2-1 victory, while Cameroon exited the tournament after suffering their second group-stage defeat. As the third place team in Group B, Egypt will now take part to the FIFA U-17 World Cup playoff where a victory qualifies them for the finals in Qatar.

Final Group B Table

	Points
Burkina Faso	9
South Africa	4
Egypt	3
Cameroon	1

• The top two teams qualify for the quarterfinals and the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

• The four third place finishers from all groups qualify for a playoff, from which the two winning teams will qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup.