Izuchukwu OkosiAfrica football governing body CAF has moved the next Africa Cup of Nations to January and February 2024, the continent’s football ruling body confirmed on Sunday July 3.
The decision of CAF to shift the AFCON initially billed for June and July 2023 is due to the concerns over the rainy season in Cote d’Ivoire.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe tournament was to be hosted in Ivory Coast in June-July 2023, which is the height of the rainy season in the country.
Consequently CAF president Patrice Motsepe has announced in Rabat Morocco on Sunday that the tournament has now been moved to early 2024.
Motsepe explained that, with the FIFA World Cup in Qatar taking place in November and December this year, the decision has been taken to postpone the AFCON rather than bring it forward.
It means the Nations Cup will be held in January and February for the second time in a row, after this year’s tournament in Cameroon.
In 2017, CAF announced that it would move the AFCON from their traditional January-February slot to June-July in a bid to avoid repeated disputes with European clubs forced to release players in the middle of the season.
“We cannot take the risk, January is not the ideal time because of the European clubs, but it is the only choice we have,” Motsepe had said.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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