The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 may see a shift from its initial schedule of January-February to July-August, according to recent speculation. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has tentatively agreed to host the tournament during the summer months in Morocco to prevent any overlap with the first-ever 32-team Club World Cup slated for June 2025.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has not disclosed the exact dates for the rescheduled AFCON 2025. However, an official from the competition management committee revealed on Monday that there is “an agreement in principle between CAF and the Moroccan Football Federation for the CAN to be held during the summer, more precisely in July and August” of 2025, as reported by RFI.
This potential rescheduling aims to prevent any scheduling conflicts and ensure a smooth and uninterrupted sporting calendar. With the growing prominence of both AFCON and the Club World Cup, avoiding overlap is crucial to maintaining the integrity and viewership of both tournaments.
Notably, this wouldn’t be the first time the AFCON has been postponed. The previous two editions, AFCON 2021 and AFCON 2023, were rescheduled due to various reasons. AFCON 2021 took place in January-February 2022 in Cameroon, while the most recent tournament, officially named AFCON 2023, kicked off on January 13 in Côte d’Ivoire.
Despite the potential rescheduling, qualifying matches for AFCON 2025 are yet to commence. As per the CAF calendar, a preliminary round is slated from March 18 to 26, indicating the need for swift decision-making to ensure a smooth transition to the new tournament schedule.
