AFCON 2025 postponed… See reason

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) initially scheduled to be played in June 2025 and Morocco as the host country has been moved further to January 2026 by Confederation of African Football (CAF).

A number of clubs may be without important players for as long as a month because this development.

But why has the biggest football tournament in Africa be delayed by six months for the second consecutive time? Recall that the 17th edition of AFCON was also moved from 2023 to January-February 2024 because of heavy floods that was expected in Ivory Coast, the host country.

The general secretary of the CAF, Veron Mosengo-Omba disclosed to British broadcasting commission (BBC) that the reason for rescheduling the tournament was because it clashes with the new expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup.

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The FIFA Club World Cup is also scheduled to be played in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025.

Mosengo-Omba expressed further worries about player well-being, doubting whether players could handle the physical demands of competing in both the FIFA Club World Cup and the African Cup of Nations back-to-back, without adequate rest and recovery time.

The Club World Cup will feature four African teams, and a significant number of players from these teams are expected to be selected to represent their countries in the African Cup of Nations, creating a potential conflict for players and teams alike.

Read more: Vinícius or Bellingham: Who should win 2024 Ballon d’Or?