CAF Reschedules AFCON 2023 To 2024

The tournament was originally scheduled to take place in June and July next year in Ivory Coast but has now been rescheduled for January and February 2024.

CAF have cited meteorological concerns as its reason to change the timing of the tournament.

The 2022 edition which was hosted in January and February by Cameroon was also rescheduled from the summer of 2021 for similar reasons.

“The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will now be played between January and February 2024,” CAF president Dr. Patrice Mostepe told a press conference in Morocco.

“This is one of the issues we discussed during our congress meeting here in Morocco and the official dates will be communicated later.

"It is after deliberations we came into the decision, we have partners and even though we make decisions, it is out of respect that we take the advice we are getting that we cannot take a risk [to host the tournament] and so that is why we have made the necessary announcement today [Sunday].

"It is not good for African football to play a tournament that can be washed out, it is not good for Africa and the continent at large and so we have to postpone it. I am happy and impressed with the infrastructure put in place by Ivory Coast in readiness for the tournament and I am sure they will host a very good tournament."

The switch of dates will likely continue the club versus country dilemma European-based players normally face at the start of the year as they usually have to choose between staying with their clubs or flying down to represent their countries in the middle of the season.

Senegal are the defending champions of the AFCON tournament.