The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the dates for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments.

Originally planned for 2025, the men’s AFCON tournament in Morocco will now be held between 21 December 2025, and 18 January 2026. This decision comes after FIFA’s expansion of the Club World Cup to a 32-team tournament in the US next June, causing scheduling conflicts.

The delay may raise concerns for European clubs with African players, as the tournament falls shortly after the season begins. 2026 the FIFA World Cup will be hosted in US, Canada and Mexico which means players might be overworked by the scheduling.

Due to the Olympic Games earlier this year in France, the Women’s AFCON, also hosted by Morocco, has been rescheduled. The tournament will now take place from 5 July to 26 July 2025. South Africa’s Banyana Banyana, the defending champions, will aim to retain their title, having beaten Morocco in the final in 2022.

CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe expressed confidence in a successful AFCON 2025, potentially the best in the competition’s history. He also acknowledged the growth of women’s football on the continent and anticipates a strong showing at the Women’s AFCON 2024.

Dr. Motsepe highlighted the complexity of finding suitable dates due to the busy international and domestic football calendars. He emphasized CAF’s commitment to protecting African players’ interests and fostering positive relationships with European clubs and football associations.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation President, Mr. Fouzi Lekjaa, expressed his hope that AFCON 2025 will be a resounding success, honoring both Africa and Morocco.

The CAF Executive Committee (EXCO) also announced the following:

• The 46th CAF Ordinary General Assembly will be held in Kinshasa, DRC, on October 10th, 2024.
• Bidding is open to host:
  • The CAF Women’s Champions League 2024
  • The CAF U17 and U20 AFCON tournaments
  • The CAF Awards 2024
• CAF received attractive proposals from the Middle East to host the CAF Super Cup 2024, featuring Egyptian giants Al Ahly and Zamalek.