Hosts South Africa are set to take on Afghanistan at the ICC Under-19 World Cup ©ICC

Hosts South Africa are set to take on Afghanistan in tomorrow's opening match of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 World Cup.

The two teams are set to play each other at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley, the first of 48 matches in the 24-day tournament. 

They are in Group D alongside Canada and the United Arab Emirates, while Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland and Zimbabwe make up Group C. 

Three-time winners Australia are in Group B with the West Indies, England and debutantes Nigeria. 

Japan are also set to make their World Cup debut. 

Defending champions India will be looking for their fifth Under-19 World Cup title ©ICC
Defending champions India will be looking for their fifth Under-19 World Cup title ©ICC

They face a tough challenge, however, drawn in Group A alongside defending champions and four-time winners India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. 

The group stage is scheduled to take place until January 25, followed by the knockout stages and playoff matches, with the final set for February 9 at JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom.

To ensure that all teams play as many games as possible, the bottom two teams from each group will be drafted into the "Plate League"

This will entail a simultaneous knockout tournament that will run parallel to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, determining which teams finish ninth to 16th. 

Matches are also scheduled to take place at Willowmoore Park in Benoni and Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein.