CAF Is Uncertain About Start Date For 2025 AFCON In Morocco

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is uncertain how when the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (CAF) will start in Morocco.

The 2025 AFCON is expected to take place barely two years after the conclusion of the 2023 AFCON. Note that the biannual football tournament ought to take place between June and July 2023. But was moved to January 2024 due to the weather conditions in Ivory Coast.

This shift might affect the subsequent edition of the tournament in Morocco as teams are yet to go through the rigour of qualifying for the tournament.

This has been made more difficult because the period that ought to be used for the AFCON qualifiers is expected to be used for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Earlier in the week, the Moroccan football federation announced that the 2025 AFCON will take place in the summer of the said year which is the most ideal period for the tournament.

Unfortunately, if the tournament takes place between June and July 2025, the tournament will clash with the expanded FIFA Club World Cup which will take place in North America.

If the 2025 AFCON is moved to the following year just like in the case of the 2023 AFCON, the tournament will take place in the same year as the first edition of the 48-team World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

In a press conference in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Friday, CAF president, Patrice Motsepe was asked when the 2025 AFCON will commence. Motsepe said, “The focus for all of us now is Ivory Coast.

“There are a lot of competing events at the same time but we are confident that it is indeed going to be around that time (2025 summer).

“We have to accommodate other competing competitions but the AFCON next year is going to be an immense success and we will make further announcements in due course.”