The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has awarded the hosting rights for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations to Egypt after the initial host nation, Ivory Coast, pulled out of staging the tournament due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

“The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) today awarded the Egyptian Football Association (“EFA”) and Egyptian Government the rights to host the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025,” CAF said in a statement on Thursday.

Ivory Coast was set to capitalise on the world-class facilities and success from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in the country early last year to stage the underage tournament, scheduled for April 26 to May 18, but pulled out abruptly exactly one month before the opening match.

The African football governing body added, “This is subsequent to CAF having been informed by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football (“FIF”) and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire that due to unforeseen circumstances, they are unable to host the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025.”

Nigeria is one of the 12 nations that will be competing in the tournament, with the Flying Eagles drawn in Group B alongside the competition’s new hosts, Egypt, South Africa, and Morocco.

The tournament will also serve as the continent’s qualifier for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, slated for Chile later this year, with the four semi-finalists automatically booking their spots in the competition.