2019 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations
The 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations was the third edition of the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, the quadrennial international age-restricted football championship organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the men's under-23 national teams of Africa. It was hosted by Egypt between 8 and 22 November 2019.
| كأس الأمم الأفريقية تحت 23 سنة 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Egypt |
| Dates | 8–22 November |
| Teams | 8 (from 1 confederation) |
| Venue(s) | 2 (in 1 host city) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Egypt (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Ivory Coast |
| Third place | South Africa |
| Fourth place | Ghana |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 16 |
| Goals scored | 35 (2.19 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Mostafa Mohamed (4 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Ramadan Sobhi |
| Best goalkeeper | Mohamed Sobhy |
| Fair play award | Egypt |
The tournament was initially scheduled to take place in Zambia, but they withdrew from hosting in July 2017. Egypt was announced as the new host nation of the tournament by CAF on 23 September 2017.
Same as previous editions, the tournament served as African qualifying for the Olympic football tournament, with the top three teams of the tournament qualifying for the 2020 Summer Olympic men's football tournament in Japan.
Nigeria were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the group stage. Egypt defeated Ivory Coast 2–1 at extra time in the final, winning the title for the first time in their history, while South Africa came third for the second times in a row after beating Ghana 6–5 on penalties after the match ended 2–2 in their third-place play-off match.