KEHINDE FAJOBI
Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Sunday announced the postponement of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.
The biannual continental flagship football tournament which was initially scheduled for June 23 to July 23, 2023, will now be held in January and February 2024.
CAF cited concerns over the rainy season as the reason for the postponement. CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe told the media during a press conference in Morocco: “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.”
He announced: “The 2023 Afcon will now be played between January and February 2024. 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 to 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]”.