CAF approves AFCON 2023 revised qualification calendar, moves tournament to 2024
Continent’s football governing body, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has revised the qualification calendar of the next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
The 2021 edition of the competition held in Cameroon, last January 2022 after its postponement from 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the next edition was originally billed for June-July 2023 to harmonise the tournament calendar.
However, the Executive Committee, weekend, approved a revised TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 revised qualification calendar.
According to CAF, the revision ‘was necessitated by the Executive Committee’s commitment to make room for the African nations that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in November/ December 2022 to prepare adequately.’
“Consequently, the September 2022 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire match day three and match day four qualifiers have been moved to 20-28 March 2023.
“Match day five will now be on 12-20 June 2023 while match day six will be played on 4-12 September 2023,” the committee statement read.
Meanwhile, CAF has also shifted the competition date to January, 2024 billed for Cote d’Ivoire.