| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 8 June 1980 – 24 April 1981 |
| Teams | 14 (from 1 confederation) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Egypt (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Cameroon |
| Third place |  Nigeria |
| Fourth place |  Algeria |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 10 |
| Goals scored | 49 (4.9 per match) |
The 1981 African Youth Championship was the 3rd edition of the biennial African qualification tournament for the FIFA World Youth Championship which was contested on a home-and-away two-legged basis.
Egypt beat Cameroon 3–1 on aggregate in the final to claim their inaugural title, although both teams qualified for the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship in Australia.