The road to the TotalEnergies Morocco 2023 U23 Africa Cup of Nations will peak from Wednesday as African nations prepare to begin their quest for a place at this year’s event.
The final tournament will take place from June 24 to July 8, 2023.
The TotalEnergies U23 Africa Cup of Nations is a qualifying tournament for the Summer Olympics, where the top three nations are guaranteed a place in Paris next year.
The official kick-off of the last elimination phase before the CAN U23 will be given on Wednesday March 22 with the first legs, before ending on Tuesday March 28.
Nigeria, the 2015 champions, will host Guinea in Abuja on Wednesday afternoon before facing them next Tuesday in the second leg which will take place in Morocco.
All eyes will be on defending champions Egypt as they host Zambia, who will be looking to clinch their third qualification for the TotalEnergies U23 Africa Cup of Nations after exiting the competition in the group stages of the 2015 and 2015 editions. 2019.
The two teams will meet at 30 June Stadium on Wednesday March 22 before the second leg four days later at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola in what promises to be an action-packed north-south encounter.
A West African derby is on the agenda for African football fans, as Senegal host Mali in Dakar on Wednesday night before traveling to Bamako for the return leg next Tuesday.
On Thursday, South Africa, double bronze medalists, face Congo, which seeks to secure a historic place in the competition. The two teams will meet at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto before concluding the doubleheader on Monday in Brazzaville.
Friday evening, Algeria, vice-world champion in 2015, will host Ghana at the Stade 19 Mai in Annaba. The West Africans are determined to leave their mark on this competition, having finished in fourth place in the 2019 edition.
They will face off again in the second leg on Tuesday at Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
On Saturday, 2011 champions Gabon will be hoping for a good result at home by hosting Cameroon in Franceville for the first leg before heading to Yaoundé for the second leg on Tuesday against the African football giants.
Below is the full schedule of matches (time in GMT).