CAF Hit by Fresh Controversy As Congo Withdraws From Competition Due to Squad Issues
- The Republic of the Congo has withdrawn from the UNIFAC U-17 qualifiers just before kickoff in Kinshasa
- A lack of a domestic league, missing documents, and ministry disputes have been cited by the FECOFOOT
- 16 teams will qualify for the U-17 AFCON, which is set to be staged in Morocco from April 25 to May 15
Drama has hit after the Republic of the Congo officially withdrew from the Union of Central African Football Federations (UNIFAC) tournament that serves as qualifiers for the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
In a statement issued on February 16, 2026, the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) confirmed that the Red Devils U-17 would not participate in the competition set to kick off in Kinshasa.
Source: Twitter
The withdrawal came less than 24 hours before kickoff, leaving organisers and rival teams scrambling.
Congo Brazzaville had been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic.
FECOFOOT claims U-17 team ‘did not exist’
According to FECOFOOT, the decision was unavoidable due to several unresolved problems, including the absence of a national youth championship after stadium closures across the country, One Football reported.
The federation also pointed to administrative breakdowns with the Ministry of Sports, time constraints, and the lack of valid documentation for some players.
The executive committee said it deeply regrets this unfortunate withdrawal of the U-17 Red Devils, adding that the federation was sidelined from key preparations despite being the technical authority for football in the country.
The situation took an even stranger turn when FECOFOOT claimed that it did not even recognise the existence of a national U-17 team until learning about it through the media.
On February 10, just one week before the tournament, the federation released a strong statement declaring it does not 'recognise' the squad supposedly entered for the Central African qualifiers.
This unprecedented claim exposed deep cracks in Congo’s football administration.
Reports from Afrik-Foot suggested the Congo U-17 squad was assembled under coach Fabrizio Sinaza, who had earlier warned in December 2025 about the difficulty of building a team due to the lack of domestic competitions.
FECOFOOT said there was no follow-up communication after those consultations, leaving the federation unaware that a team had been put together for an official continental competition.
As a result, Congo opted out entirely, fearing embarrassment and regulatory sanctions.
Source: Getty Images
The UNIFAC tournament is meant to decide which Central African teams qualify for the continental finals organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The 2026 tournament runs from February 17 to March 2 in Kinshasa and is part of the qualification process for the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
The main U-17 AFCON finals will be hosted by Morocco, with Africa’s best young talents battling for continental glory.
Beyond the AFCON itself, the stakes are even higher.
The top 10 teams from the tournament will qualify for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, making Congo’s withdrawal a major missed opportunity for its next generation of players.
Congo out of World Cup race
Legit.ng also reported that FIFA suspended Congo-Brazzaville's football federation in February for an alleged 'situation of undue influence', ruling them out from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As a result, their qualification fixtures against Zambia and Tanzania were cancelled by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the opposition teams were handed 3-0 wins, respectively.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
