As the Africa Cup of Nations is currently taking place in Côte d’Ivoire, the CAF is facing a significant set of problems. For the upcoming edition of this prestigious competition, a scheduling issue arises.
The dates for the next Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco remain uncertain due to a potential scheduling conflict with the new edition of the Club World Cup, scheduled for mid-2025, announced the president of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, on Friday.
The dates for the Nations Cup were initially set in the middle of the year starting from the 2019 edition in Egypt but were changed to the beginning of the year to avoid conflicts with player and club commitments. However, the last two Nations Cups reverted to January-February dates due to concerns related to the rainy season in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire.
Africa Cup of Nations: The Calendar Challenge
The 2021 final phase in Cameroon was also postponed by 12 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the 2023 tournament in Côte d’Ivoire will kick off with a six-month delay from the original schedule due to weather-related issues. The tournament will commence on Saturday in Abidjan.
Although it was expected that CAF would return to a mid-year date for the 2025 final phase in Morocco, this is now in question due to the expanded Club World Cup launched by FIFA. Last month, FIFA announced that the expanded 32-team Club World Cup would take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, potentially causing a date conflict.
Two African clubs have already qualified for the Club World Cup, and traditionally, players from Al Ahly (Egypt) and Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) also play for their national teams. If the Nations Cup were also held in mid-2025, a direct conflict could arise. Motsepe stated that CAF is still deciding on the date but suggested that it might be moved. “We want the Nations Cup to take place at the most favorable and convenient time for the tournament,” he said during a press conference on Friday. “We are still in contact with FIFA regarding the dates.”
Meanwhile, CAN 2023 is progressing well in Côte d’Ivoire
The date for the Nations Cup remains controversial, but CAF organized all tournaments from 1968 to 2017 in the first three months of the year. The issue intensified in the 1990s when more African footballers were recruited by European clubs and were forced to leave their teams in the middle of the season to participate in the tournament.
For this 2023 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, players left their clubs in winter to compete in a tournament that, compared to the 2021 edition, promises more security. It was one of the serious shortcomings of the organization of CAN 2021 in Cameroon.
A fire resulted in the death of eight people and injured at least 38 others, seven of them in serious condition. This unfortunate event occurred at the Olembé Stadium just before the round of 16 match between Cameroon and Comoros. It was triggered during a routine check related to the Covid-19 health protocol.
Two years later, memories of this tragic incident linger as Africa prepares for the 34th edition of the CAN. “The Olembé tragedy two years ago could have been avoided,” said Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football. He assured that such unfortunate situations would not recur in Côte d’Ivoire, as he emphasized during a press conference in Treichville this Friday. “I had a conversation with Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, and according to the information I received, 15,000 police forces will be mobilized to ensure security. I am satisfied with the measures taken by the country,” added the South African leader.
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