2013 African U-17 Championship

2013 African U-17 Championship
بطولة أفريقيا تحت 17 سنة 2013
Tournament details
Host country	Morocco
Dates	13–27 April
Teams	8 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)	2 (in 2 host cities)
Final positions
Champions	Ivory Coast (1st title)
Runners-up	Nigeria
Third place	Tunisia
Fourth place	Morocco
Tournament statistics
Matches played	16
Goals scored	56 (3.5 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Success Isaac; (7 goals); Kelechi Iheanacho; (5 goals)
	← 2011 2015 →

The 2013 African U-17 Championship was a football competition organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The tournament took place in Morocco from 13 to 27 April. The top four teams qualified for the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Qualification

The qualifiers began on 7 September 2012 with the preliminary matches taking place, while the final round matches were played on 2 December 2012. At the end of the qualification, seven teams joined the hosts, Morocco.

Qualified teams

Botswana
Congo
Ivory Coast
Gabon
Ghana
Morocco (Hosts)
Nigeria
Tunisia

Venues

Casablanca	Casablanca Marrakech
Stade Mohamed V
Capacity: 67,000

Marrakech
Stade de Marrakech
Capacity: 45,240

Draw

The draw for the tournament was held on 9 December 2012 in Cairo, Egypt.^[1]^[2]

Match officials

Referees

Redouane Jiyed
Med Said Kordi
Davies Ogenche Omweno
Wiish Hagi Yabarow
Samuel Chirindza
Mahamadou Keita
Ali Mohamed Adelaid
Joshua Bondo
Achille Madila
Rainhold Shikongo
Maguette Ndiaye
Juste Ephrem Zio

Assistant referees

Bouazza Rouani
Eldrick Adelaide
Sidiki Sidibe
Mark Ssonko
Jerson Emiliano Dos Santos
Mothibidi Stevens Khumalo
Marius Donatien Tan
Abderahmane Warr
Babadjide Bienvenu Dina
Yahaya Mahamadou
Arsénio Chadreque Marengula
Kindie Mussie
Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue
Seydou Tiama

Squads

MRI controversy

All players in the competition went through a mandatory MRI test which investigates bony fusion of the left distal radius (wrist). Several players were considered to be over-age by CAF and they were not eligible for the competition. The tests took place on 12 April, one day before the competition began leaving no time for a replacement players to be found. Ivory Coast, Congo and Nigeria each had three players found to be ineligible.^[3]

CAF released the names of the players who were found to be over-age:

Côte d'Ivoire

Nigeria

Congo

^[4]

Group stage

Each group winner and runner-up advanced to the semi-finals.

Tiebreakers

Greater number of points obtained in the matches between the concerned teams
Best goal difference resulting from the matches between the concerned teams
Greatest number of goals scored in the matches between the concerned teams
Goal difference in all group matches
Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches
Fair Play point system in which the number of yellow and red cards are evaluated
Drawing of lots by CAF Organising Committee

All times are (UTC±0)

Group A

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Status
Morocco	3	2	1	0	8	2	+6	7	Advanced to the semi-finals and qualified for the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup
Tunisia	3	2	1	0	8	4	+4	7
Gabon	3	1	0	2	6	9	–3	3	Eliminated and missed out on the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup
Botswana	3	0	0	3	2	9	–7	0	Eliminated and missed out on the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup

13 April 2013