By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The draw for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026 African Qualifiers was held on Saturday in Rabat, Morocco, officially marking the start of the continental qualification campaign.
Sierra Leone’s U-17 women’s team, the reigning champions of the inaugural WAFU-A U-17 Girls’ Tournament, have been drawn against Ivory Coast in the first round of the qualifiers. The first leg of the encounter is scheduled to take place between 10-12 April 2026, with the return leg set for 17-19 April 2026.
The winner of the tie between Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast will advance to the second round to face the winner of the fixture between Benin and Burkina Faso. The second-round matches are scheduled for 22-24 May 2026, with the return legs to be played between 29-30 May 2026.
A total of 31 African teams are competing in the qualifiers, which will be played over *three knockout rounds using a two-legged home-and-away format. At the end of the third round, four teams will qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Finals in Morocco.
The draw underscores a challenging but promising path for Sierra Leone’s young talents as they seek to build on recent regional success and secure a historic place on the global stage.