Benin has withdrawn from the UFOA-B U17 Girls Cup 2026, prompting organizers to revise the competition's format. The withdrawal, announced after the draw for the tournament was held on September 3, means the initial two-group setup has been abandoned. Instead, the championship will now proceed as a single six-team event. The UFOA-B U17 Girls Cup 2026 is scheduled to take place from September 15 to September 27, 2026, and is set to be hosted in Côte d’Ivoire. Benin's withdrawal has specifically forced organizers to abandon the initial two-group format in favor of this single six-team championship, marking a significant change from the original plans.
Original Draw and Groupings
The initial draw for the UFOA-B U17 Girls Cup 2026, conducted before Benin's withdrawal, had established two distinct groups for the competition. This draw, which occurred on September 3, laid out the preliminary structure for the tournament. Benin had been placed in Group A alongside Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso. This grouping would have seen these three nations compete against each other in the tournament's preliminary stages, aiming to secure advancement to the subsequent rounds. The teams were prepared for a round-robin format within their respective groups.
Group B was originally comprised of four teams. Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, and Niger were drawn into this larger group. The setup aimed to have the teams in each group play a round-robin format, with the top teams advancing to the knockout stages. This configuration was designed to ensure a full preliminary stage before the semi-finals and final. The withdrawal of Benin necessitated a complete overhaul of this initial structure, rendering the original group compositions obsolete and requiring a new approach to the competition.
New Championship Format
The remaining teams committed to the tournament are Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Togo. This revised structure means the six participating nations will now compete in a single league format. Each team is scheduled to play every other team once, resulting in a total of five matches for each participant throughout the competition. This change ensures that all teams will face each other, providing a full assessment of their performance over the tournament duration.
The tournament will feature a total of fifteen matches played across the entire schedule, reflecting the new single-league format. Points will be awarded based on match outcomes: a victory for any team will earn three points, while a draw will result in one point for each side. In the event of a tie in points between teams, specific criteria will be applied to determine their final standings. Goal difference will serve as the primary tiebreaker, followed by the total number of goals scored by each team. Should teams remain tied, their head-to-head results will be considered. The team accumulating the highest number of points after completing all five matchdays will be crowned the championship winner, ensuring a clear outcome based on consistent performance throughout the league.
Tournament Context and Logistics
The UFOA-B U17 Girls Cup 2026 is scheduled to be hosted in Côte d’Ivoire. This marks Côte d’Ivoire as the central location for the competition following the recent adjustments to the tournament structure. All matches for the event will be held across two specific venues. The Stade Charles-Konan-Banny will serve as one of the primary stadiums for the tournament fixtures, providing a professional setting for the young athletes. Additionally, the Lycée scientifique de Yamoussoukro has been designated as a match venue, offering another key location for the competition's schedule. These locations will facilitate the revised single league format, which now involves six participating teams. The tournament is set to run from September 15 to September 27, 2026, promising nearly two weeks of competitive youth football as teams vie for the championship title in Côte d’Ivoire.
