CAF refutes rumours of 2025 AFCON postponement amid scheduling concerns
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially denied reports that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco has been postponed.
These rumours emerged following claims that the tournament was rescheduled to early 2026 to avoid clashing with the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, scheduled for June 15 to July 13, 2025, in the U.S.
Amid these rumors, CAF released a statement on its X (formerly Twitter) handle, clarifying that “Reports on AFCON 2025 are untrue. The CAF Executive Committee will meet, deliberate, and make a decision on the AFCON 2025 dates. CAF will thereafter issue an official statement on the matter.” However, the exact date for this executive meeting remains unspecified.
This situation intensified when CAF General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba addressed the potential conflict with the FIFA Club World Cup, stating, “We can play after the Club World Cup, but is this good for the interests of the players who have played all the season and then they travel to America to play (and then) immediately come to play AFCON?” Mosengo-Omba emphasiSed the complexity of scheduling, describing it as a “nightmare for everybody”.
The delay in announcing the official dates for the 2025 AFCON has been a point of contention, with stakeholders expressing frustration over the lack of clarity. This issue extends to other CAF events as well, including the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, also set to be held in Morocco, which still lacks confirmed dates.
Adding to the organizational challenges, CAF is facing criticism for the uncertainty surrounding the second edition of the African Football League. Despite CAF President Patrice Motsepe’s pledge to expand the league to 24 teams, the dates for the next season’s African Champions League and Confederation Cup group stages have been set from October to December, conflicting with last year’s schedule for the African Football League.
As CAF works to finalize the schedules for these significant tournaments, the football community remains attentive, awaiting official announcements regarding the 2025 AFCON and other major event.
