The President of the African Football Confederation, Patrice Motsepe, has refused to confirm a specific date for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to be hosted in Morocco in 2025.
During a press conference in Abidjan to conclude the current Africa Cup of Nations, where the final match between the host country Ivory Coast and Nigeria is set to take place this Sunday at the Hassan II Stadium, South African Motsepe stated that the focus for everyone at the moment is on the Ivory Coast.
The continental championship is usually held every two years, but the current edition has been delayed by six months due to concerns over conflicting with the rainy season in the Ivory Coast.
Organizing the next edition in Morocco next year poses various challenges; holding it in January/February leaves little time for qualifying competitions after the dates approved by FIFA in June for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The Moroccan Football Federation issued a statement this week stating that the continental tournament will take place in the summer of 2025. However, organizing it in June/July would clash with FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup, which is set to be held in the United States.
Nevertheless, postponing it until 2026, which will witness the first World Cup with 48 participating teams in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, may be impossible.
In response to a question on whether the tournament will proceed as planned in 2025, Motsepe stated that there are many competitive events happening simultaneously, but they are confident that it will indeed take place at that time.
“We need to accommodate other competitive events, but the Africa Cup of Nations next year will be a huge success, and we will release more information at the appropriate time.”
