By Akinwale Kasali
The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has postponed the 2023 African Cup of Nations to 2024.
The Continent’s Apex Football body President, Patrice Motsepe, announced on Sunday that the 34th edition, which was originally scheduled to hold between June 23 to July 23, 2023, in Ivory Coast will not be played as planned due to the weather conditions in the West African country.
“The 2023 Afcon will now be played between January and February 2024,” Mostepe told the media during a press conference in Morocco. “This is one of the issues we discussed during our congress meeting here in Morocco and the official dates will be communicated later.
“It is after deliberations we came into the decision, we have partners and even though we make decisions, it is out of respect that we take the advice we are getting that we cannot take a risk [to host the tournament] and so that is why we have made the necessary announcement today [Sunday].
“It is not good for African football to play a tournament that can be washed out, it is not good for Africa and the continent at large and so we have to postpone it.”
CAF lauded Ivory Coast for preparing ahead the tournament.
“I am happy and impressed with the infrastructure put in place by Ivory Coast in readiness for the tournament and I am sure they will host a very good tournament,” Motsepe continued.
After the final vote at the Caf Executive Committee meeting on September 20, 2014, the African football body announced the hosts for three editions; Cameroon (2019), Ivory Coast (2021), and Guinea (2023).
The last edition of the tournament was held in Cameroon where Senegal emerged the winners after defeating Egypt on penalties in the final.
