Africa’s eight best teams are currently meeting in Senegal for the CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations.

The two-week competition will see the top three teams qualify for the Olympic men’s soccer tournament next summer in Rio de Janeiro.

And soccer’s world governing body says all the teams have equal chances of making it to Brazil.

“Africa will not be sending a rookie to Rio as all eight teams participating in Senegal have already competed at the Olympics and therefore firmly know what is at stake,” says the Fifa website.

While Nigeria has been the dominant force in African youth soccer, according to Fifa “it is Egypt who can claim the most number of appearances at the Olympics.

“The Pharaohs have played for Olympic gold 11 times with only a handful of countries around the world having reached the Olympics more often.”

Egypt will go head to head in Group B with rivals Algeria, Nigeria and Mali, who sent home the title holders Gabon in qualifying for the U-23 cup.

Group A, meanwhile, will see South Africa compete against Tunisia, Zambia and hosts Senegal. Zambians across the world are hoping they will make it to Rio to repeat their 4-0 thrashing of Italy in Seoul in 1988.