Africa Cup of Nations to begin early 2024 due to weather concerns

Due to adverse weather concerns, the 2023 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the continent’s most esteemed football competition, has been rescheduled and will once again be held in the middle of the European domestic season.

TotalEnergies AFCON 2023 was previously scheduled to begin in the summer of next year, with the Ivory Coast as the host nation. However, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee decided to move the competition from June and July 2023 to January and February 2024 due to the nation’s frequent floods at that time of year.

Patrice Motsepe, CAF president, stated: “We cannot take the risk. January is not the ideal time because of the European clubs, but it is the only choice we have.”

Not for the first time, the decision could incur the wrath of top-tier managers across Europe, as many have voiced their displeasure at the scheduling conflict in the recently concluded season. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had to contend with the absences of Thomas Partey, Nicolas Pepe, and Mohamed Elneny among others and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp referred to the AFCON as a “little tournament” before later clarifying the remark.

Liverpool’s front duo Senegalese Sadio Mane and Egyptian Mohamed Salah were both involved in the competition until the final, where Senegal triumphed over Egypt via penalty shootouts.