FIFA has canceled the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups scheduled for next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The next editions are now due to be staged in 2023, with Indonesia still hosting the U20s and Peru the U17s.
FIFA says “the COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges for the hosting of international sporting events and to have a restrictive effect on international travel.”
The governing body added “it became clear that the global situation has failed to normalize to a sufficient level to address the challenges associated with hosting both tournaments, including the feasibility of the relevant qualification pathways.”
It is however unclear how this decision by FIFA will impact the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations slated for Mauritania next year. That competition is CAF’s qualifying tournament for the FIFA U-20 world cup with the top three teams making it to the global showpiece.
Ghana’s U-20 team, the Black Satellites, booked their place in next year’s U-20 AFCON after winning the WAFU Zone B Cup of Nations in Benin earlier this month.
