CAIRO: The Egyptian youth national team will face an uphill battle in January when they lace it up for the African U-17 African championships after drawing host Rwanda in the group stages. Egypt is hoping for a strong showing in the tournament in order to earn a berth in the U-17 World Cup to be held in Mexico this coming June. The semifinalists in Rwanda will qualify for the World Cup. Egypt and Rwanda will also play Burkina Faso and Senegal. Traditional youth powerhouses on the global stage Nigeria and Ghana failed to qualify in a shock to African football. Burkina Faso were the final team to qualify for the tournament, with a 3-0 win over Reunion 24 hours before the draw. The reigning champions Gambia lead the other pool, alongside CongoBrazzaville, Ivory Coast and Mali. The 8 team tournament begins in January 8 and runs through January 22. BM