Published: October 2, 2026
Liberia’s Young Lone Star will face Mali, Guinea and The Gambia in Group A of the WAFU Zone A U-20 Championship.
MONROVIA— Liberia has been drawn into a challenging Group A alongside host Mali, Guinea and The Gambia for the WAFU Zone A U-20 Championship.
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The Young Lone Star will face Mali, Guinea and The Gambia as they compete for a place in the knockout stage of the regional tournament.
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Group B features defending champion Senegal, Mauritania, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau.
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Liberia’s U-20 national team, coached by former Arsenal striker Christopher Wreh, has been preparing for the tournament for the past two months. The squad features some of the top young players from the domestic league.
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Senegal enters the tournament as the defending champion after winning the previous edition of the WAFU Zone A U-20 Championship.
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The tournament is scheduled to run from Oct. 15-30, 2026, with teams competing for qualification to the 2027 TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
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Two teams from each of CAF’s six regional zones will qualify for the 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, making the WAFU Zone A championship an important pathway for Liberia’s young players.
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Ghana will host the 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in February and March 2027 as part of celebrations marking the country’s 70th independence anniversary.
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The continental tournament will feature 12 teams.
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The top four finishers will qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
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