African Cup of Nations reprogrammed in January 2024

Until 2017, the CAN took place at the start of the calendar year. The CAF Executive Committee then decided to move the test in summer.

Le Monde with AFP

For a few days already, the question arose. At the end of a meeting of the Executive Committee of the African Football Confederation (CAF), Sunday July 3 in Rabat, Patrice Word, its president, announced that the African Cup of Nations of football was reprogrammed, during ‘A press conference in Rabat. The competition which was initially to be held from June 23 to July 23, 2023 in five Ivorian cities, Abidjan, Bouaké, Yamoussoukro, Korhogo and San-Pedro was moved to January 2024.

“We don’t want to take the risk of having a competition under the flood. It would not be good for African football and its image,” he said. “We make the decision but it is a question of respect. We have taken many opinions and some people told us” there is climate change, maybe rain will not be a problem “. But the advice That we receive is that we cannot take this risk, “detailed the president of the African Confederation.

Last month, serious floods caused by torrential rains killed at least five people in Abidjan. Heart of the rainy season in this tropical climate city, June is traditionally the most rainy of the year, with an average of 300 mm of water.

“I am very proud of the world’s class infrastructure, the support of President Alassane Ouattara, the Prime Minister, the Government and all the people of football in Côte d’Ivoire. This competition will be very special,” said Mr. . Words. “We know that the month of January is not ideal. European clubs are not always inclined to release their best players,” he recognized, however.

test moved in 2017

The 2 vice-president of the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF), Koné Mamadou, said that “if the CAF decided so, it is because it has its Reasons “and” we have no choice, we can only align ourselves “. According to him, “the last decision goes to the Ivorian authorities who have put the means for infrastructure”, including the construction and renovation of stages.

The former Ivorian international Cyril Domoraud judged that CAF’s decision was “wise”. “We cannot deploy great means for a CAN and play it in the rainy season,” he said. He believes that this is a “salutary decision, even if playing in January-February will annoy European clubs”.

Until 2017, the CAN took place at the start of the calendar year. The CAF executive committee then decided to move the event in summer. The 2019 edition was thus held in June and July in Egypt. The next edition, in Cameroon, was moved several times, first at the request of the host country and then because of the COVID. She finally held in January and February 2022.