Cameroon’s Under-17 team has qualified for the 2025 Under-17 AFCON after a resounding 7-1 win over Gabon yesterday. In matchday two of the ongoing UNIFFAC Cup tournament in Douala, the Baby Lions secured their ticket before their final match against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In an intense clash against the Panthers of Gabon at the Annex Reunification Stadium in Douala on February 19, 2025, the U17 Lions once again proved their superiority by defeating Gabon’s U17 team 7-1. wonder boy Frank Mafany from Best Star Academy of Limbe who emerged Man of the Match, scored four goals, with the first coming just two minutes into the match. Abraham Kolly, Oscar Etoundi, and David Bondoma also found the back of the net, while Basile Marvin Ondo scored Gabon’s only goal in the 56th minute.
The victory in matchday two of the ongoing UNIFFAC Zonal Tournament has secured Cameroon the first available ticket to the continental championship, scheduled to take place in Rabat, Morocco, in March this year. Before their last match against DR Congo on February 22, Coach Alioum Saidou’s squad leads the zone’s classification table with six points and an impressive 16 goals scored so far. Central African Republic follows in second place with three points, DR Congo is third with either three, and Gabon sits at the bottom with zero points. This will be Cameroon’s ninth participation in the U17 AFCON, with their last appearance dating back to 2023.
In that tournament, they were placed in Group C alongside Mali and Senegal. Unfortunately, Cameroon did not advance beyond the group stage, suffering defeats in both of their matches. They lost 2-0 to Mali on May 4, 2023, and 2-1 to Burkina Faso on May 7, 2023. The top two teams from this tournament will join other qualified teams in the 2025 U17 AFCON, scheduled from March 30 to April 19, 2025, in Morocco. The continental championship will also serve as a qualifier for the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup set for Qatar.
