The winner of next month’s African Youth Championship in Senegal will be added to the same group as Brazil at the 2015 FIFA Under-20 World Cup later this year.

The continental youth tournament, which runs from March 8-22, is an eight team competition which will decide Africa’s U-20 champion, while also acting as the qualifying criteria for African teams who will represent the continent at the junior World Cup.

Group A is made up of host nation Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Congo. Ghana, South Africa, Mali and Zambia are in Group B.

The teams that progress to the semi-finals of the competition will automatically qualify for the World Cup, which will take place in New Zealand from 30 May to 20 June this year.

The draw for the global competition took place in Auckland, New Zealand on Tuesday, and with 24 teams set to aim for the world champion title, four of those nations will come from Africa.

The eventual winner of the African Youth Championships  will be placed alongside Brazil, Korea DPR and Hungary. The African runner up will join Group D which will consist of Mexico, Uruguay and Serbia.

The third placed Africans are set to be in Group B alongside Argentina, Panama and Austria, while the fourth-placed team will fight for progression from the group stage that will see them face off against Qatar, Colombia and Portugal.

2015 FIFA U20 World Cup finals draw:

Group A: New Zealand, Ukraine, USA, Myanmar

Group B: Argentina, Panama, CAF 3, Austria

Group C: Qatar, Colombia, Portugal, CAF 4

Group D: Mexico, CAF 2, Uruguay, Serbia

Group E: CAF Champion, Brazil, Korea DPR, Hungary

Group F: Germany, Fiji, Uzbekistan, Honduras