The national U-20 football team, nicknamed the Hippos, were drawn in the same group with South Sudan, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Congo Brazaville for the forthcoming TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Finals.
The tournament will be held between February 19 and March 11, 2023 in Egypt.
By playing South Sudan in one of the scheduled group matches, the Hippos will be facing the Sudanese for the second time in less than six months. The Hippos beat South Sudan 2-1 in the final of the regional CECEFA qualifiers held in Sudan in November 2022.
Speaking after Friday (December 23)’s draws, FUFA spokesman Ahmed Hussein Marsha said the local football federation will soon release the Hippos’ preparations programme.
“We want the boys to get early preparations so that there are no excuses this time round. They have a very good chance to win it in Egypt,” Marsha told this website on Saturday, December 24.
Previously, the Hippos played at U-20 AFCON Finals for the first time in 2021 and reached the final which they lost 0-2 to Ghana, who will be defending champions in Egypt next year.
