- Afcon 2025 delayed to early 2026 due to Club World Cup conflict.
- Morocco's tourism sector and hosting capabilities affected by change.
- CAF faces scheduling challenges and player welfare concerns.
- Delay receives mixed reactions, highlighting CAF's calendar management struggles.
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) has been rescheduled to take place in early 2026, a six-month delay from its original June date. The change in dates is a result of a scheduling conflict with the expanded 32-team Club World Cup, set to be held in the United States from June 15 to July 13.
According to Veron Mosengo-Omba, the general secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the tournament will now be held in early 2026, with the exact dates yet to be confirmed. This decision has come as a setback for Morocco, which had planned to use the summer tournament to showcase its growing tourism sector and demonstrate its capability to host major events.
Morocco is scheduled to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain, and the Afcon tournament was seen as an opportunity for the country to prepare for the larger event. Mosengo-Omba highlighted concerns regarding player welfare, as the original dates would have required players to participate in both the Club World Cup and the Afcon consecutively.
The scheduling conflict has posed a challenge for CAF, with Mosengo-Omba stating that “scheduling is a nightmare for everybody”. The organization has also faced criticism for its failure to finalize dates for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), also scheduled to be held in Morocco.
Mosengo-Omba has assured that an announcement regarding the Wafcon would be made by the end of the month, with a potential postponement to the following year due to teams being engaged in the Olympics. The African Football League, the continent’s newly launched super league, has also been affected by the scheduling conflict, with uncertainty surrounding its second edition.
While the first edition of the African Football League featured eight selected clubs competing for record prize money, CAF President Patrice Motsepe had promised an expansion to 24 teams for the next edition. However, CAF’s recent announcement revealed that next season’s African Champions League and Confederation Cup group stages would occupy the same October to December timeframe previously allocated to the African Football League.
The decision to delay the Afcon tournament has been met with mixed reactions, with some expressing disappointment at the change in dates while others have welcomed the move. The exact dates for the tournament are yet to be confirmed, with CAF set to make an announcement in the coming weeks.
The Afcon tournament is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in Africa, with the top national teams from the continent competing for the title. The tournament has a rich history, with the first edition held in 1957.
The delay in the Afcon tournament has also raised questions about the scheduling of other football tournaments in Africa, with some calling for a review of the continent’s football calendar. The African Football League, which was launched last year, has also been affected by the scheduling conflict, with its second edition set to be postponed.
The decision to delay the Afcon tournament has highlighted the challenges faced by CAF in managing the continent’s football calendar, with the organization facing pressure to balance the interests of different stakeholders.
