2015 African U-20 Championship

The 2015 African U-20 Championship was the 20th edition of the biennial international youth football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for players aged 20 and below. The tournament took place in Senegal between 8–22 March 2015.

The semi-finalists of the tournament qualified for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand. Nigeria won the tournament, and were joined by hosts Senegal, Ghana, and Mali as CAF qualifiers for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Qualification
The qualifiers were played between April and August 2014. At the end of the qualification phase, seven teams joined the hosts Senegal.

Qualified teams

 * (hosts)
 * (hosts)
 * (hosts)
 * (hosts)
 * (hosts)
 * (hosts)

Match officials
The referees were:


 * Referees


 * Joshua Bondo
 * 🇧🇫 Juste Ephrem Zio
 * 🇧🇮 Thierry Nkurunziza
 * 🇨🇲 Aurélien Juenkou Wandji
 * 🇪🇬 Ibrahim Nour El Din
 * 🇨🇮 Bienvenu Sinko
 * 🇰🇪 Davies Ogenche Omweno
 * 🇱🇾 Mohamed Ragab Omar
 * 🇲🇱 Mahamadou Keita
 * 🇲🇦 Rédouane Jiyed
 * 🇸🇳 Daouda Gueye
 * 🇸🇴 Hagi Yabarow Wiish
 * 🇸🇩 Mutaz Abdelbasit Khairalla


 * Assistant referees


 * Mokrane Gourari
 * 🇨🇲 Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue
 * Issa Yaya
 * 🇨🇩 Olivier Safari Kabene
 * 🇪🇷 Berhe O'Michael
 * 🇪🇹 Kindie Mussie
 * 🇬🇭 David Laryea
 * Sidiki Sidibe
 * Abderahmane Warr
 * 🇳🇬 Abel Baba
 * 🇸🇳 Ababacar Sene
 * Hensley Danny Petrousse
 * Mothibidi Stevens Khumalo
 * 🇹🇳 Faouzi Jridi
 * 🇺🇬 Mark Ssonko

Draw
The draw for the final tournament was held on 21 December 2014, 11:00 UTC+02:00, at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. Senegal and Ghana were seeded and placed into Groups A and B respectively.

Squads
Each team could register a squad of 21 players (three of whom had to be goalkeepers).

Group stage
The group winners and runners-up advanced to the semi-finals and qualified for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order:
 * Tiebreakers
 * 1) Number of points obtained in games between the teams concerned;
 * 2) Goal difference in games between the teams concerned;
 * 3) Goals scored in games between the teams concerned;
 * 4) Goal difference in all games;
 * 5) Goals scored in all games;
 * 6) Fair Play point system in which the number of yellow and red cards were evaluated;
 * 7) Drawing of lots.

All times are UTC±00:00.

Knockout stage
In the knockout stage, if a match was level at the end of normal playing time, extra time was played (two periods of 15 minutes each) and followed, if necessary, by a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner, except for the play-off for third place where no extra time was played.

Awards

 * Fair play trophy: Nigeria
 * Orange Man of the tournament: 🇬🇭 Yaw Yeboah
 * Best goal of the tournament: 🇳🇬 Bernard Bulbwa against Senegal in the final

Team of the tournament

 * Starting Eleven
 * 🇳🇬 Enaholo Joshua
 * 🇳🇬 Musa Muhammed
 * 🇲🇱 Souleymane Diarra
 * 🇸🇳 Mouhameth Sané
 * 🇸🇳 Sidy Sarr
 * 🇲🇱 Alassane Diallo
 * 🇸🇳 Ibrahima Wadji
 * 🇬🇭 Yaw Yeboah
 * 🇳🇬 Idowu Elijah
 * 🇬🇭 Clifford Aboagye
 * 🇳🇬 Taiwo Awoniyi


 * Substitutes
 * 🇲🇱 Sory Ibrahim Traore
 * 🇬🇭 Joseph Aidoo
 * 🇳🇬 Ifeanyi Matthew
 * 🇳🇬 Omego Prince
 * Tyroane Joe Sandows
 * Silvere Ganvoula Mboussy
 * 🇲🇱 Malick Toure
 * 🇬🇭 Prosper Kassim

Goalscorers

 * 4 goals
 * 🇳🇬 Musa Muhammed


 * 3 goals


 * Silvère Ganvoula
 * 🇳🇬 Taiwo Awoniyi
 * 🇸🇳 Sidy Sarr
 * 🇸🇳 Ibrahima Wadji
 * Tyroane Sandows


 * 2 goals


 * 🇨🇮 Chris Bedia
 * 🇬🇭 Yaw Yeboah
 * 🇲🇱 Alassane Diallo
 * 🇲🇱 Hamidou Traoré
 * 🇳🇬 Ifeanyi Matthew
 * Dumisani Zuma
 * 🇸🇳 Moussa Koné


 * 1 goal


 * Constantin Bakaki
 * Moise Nkounkou
 * 🇬🇭 Clifford Aboagye
 * 🇬🇭 Samuel Afful
 * 🇬🇭 Asiedu Attobrah
 * 🇬🇭 Benjamin Tetteh
 * 🇨🇮 Victorien Angban
 * 🇨🇮 Yakou Meite
 * 🇨🇮 Dogbole Niangbo
 * 🇲🇱 Ichaka Diarra
 * 🇲🇱 Malick Touré
 * 🇳🇬 Bernard Bulbwa
 * 🇳🇬 Obinna Nwobodo
 * 🇳🇬 Christian Pyagbara
 * 🇸🇳 El Hadji Malick Niang
 * Motjeka Madisha
 * Dave Daka
 * Charles Zulu


 * Own goal
 * Thamsanqa Masiya (against Ghana)
 * Kabelo Seriba (against Zambia)