CAF announces postponement of 2023 Africa Cup of Nations

CAF president Dr. Patrice Motsepe has announced that the proposed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations that was scheduled for June/July 2023 in Ivory Coast has been postponed due to a number of conditions after a congress in Rabat, Morocco.

The 2021 edition of the competition held in Cameroon was won by Senegal, who claimed their first-ever title on the continent. The qualifiers for the 2023 edition of the competition started in June and the competition proper was supposed to commence in June 2023.

The date of the commencement of the competition has now been shifted to January 2024, making it the second such postponement. The competition was originally scheduled for January 2023, but due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup ending in December 2022, it was moved to June 2023.

The latest decision to move the competition comes as a result of the rainy season in Ivory Coast which usually comes with serious flooding. The season usually occurs around June and July, making it impossible for the competition to take place in the country.

Also in the congress, a 150% increase in the prize money for this year’s WAFCON was announced. The winners will receive $500,000, a marked increase from the $200,000 received in previous editions. Other such increments have been implemented for the runners-up and semifinalists as well, causing the total prize money to amount to $2.4 million from $975,000. The competition commenced this week in Morocco, with Nigeria’s Super Falcons on the hunt for a 10th title.