The 2025 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) will be held in December 2025 and January 2026, while the 2024 Women’s African Cup of Nations (Wafcon) has been postponed to July next year.
The African Football Confederation (Caf) announced that Afcon 2025, to be hosted in Morocco, will start on December 21st and the final will be on January 18th.
The schedule will see the 24-team finals overlap with the Premier League’s festive program and take place between the UEFA Champions League rounds.
It will be the first time in the history of the Nations Cup that the tournament will start in December and run over the Christmas and New Year period.
Wafcon 2024, also scheduled for Morocco, will take place between July 5th and 26th next year.
Caf had previously committed to holding its flagship men’s tournament at the end of the European club season, between June and July, but these dates next year will conflict with The first Club World Cup with 32 FIFA teams.
It remains to be seen whether Europe’s top clubs will agree to release players for the 2025 Nations Cup, with club and international calendars increasingly congested.
The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico in June and July of that year, with nine African teams guaranteed be in the expanded 48-team tournament.
Under the world governing body’s rules on player releases, it appears clubs have the right to block players heading to the Nations Cup or World Cup at the end of 2026.
“It is not mandatory to release the same player for more than one “A” representative team final competition per year,” FIFA regulations on player status and transfer state.
Earlier this month, the Professional Footballers’ Association took legal action against FIFA over the “overloaded and unworkable” football calendar, including the creation of an expanded Club World Cup.
Afcon squeezed into calendar again
Last month, Caf secretary-general Veron Mosengo-Omba told BBC Sport Africa that tournament organizers faced a “calendar nightmare”.
He added that Caf is in discussions with its European counterpart UEFA, global governing body FIFA and the European Club Association to find a suitable date for the 2025 Afcon final – and that the welfare of players will be considered in your decision.
Caf statutes say that both the men’s and women’s Nations Cups must be held once every two years – rather than once every four, as is the case with most major championships organized by other confederations.
The last two editions of Afcon were held in January and February, leading to ‘club versus country’ disputes.
The Covid-19 pandemic caused the 2021 finals in Cameroon to be postponed until early 2022, and then the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast was played earlier this year to avoid the rainy season in West Africa.
Caf president Patrice Motespe said announcing the dates for Afcon 2025 took “much longer than expected” due to “complex and sometimes challenging discussions” with stakeholders.
“Caf is committed to protecting and promoting the interests of African players who play for clubs in Europe and around the world,” he added.
“We will continue to make significant progress in developing and ensuring that African football is globally competitive and among the best in the world.”
The draw for the qualifying groups for Afcon 2025 will be held on July 4th, with qualifiers scheduled for September, October and November.
Hosts Morocco will be included in the draw, but as the Atlas Lions are already guaranteed qualification, only one team from their group will book a ticket to North Africa.
Wafcon finals postponed
The delay in holding Wafcon will again raise questions about Caf’s commitment to women’s football – given that the 2020 edition was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, while the 2021 men’s tournament was merely postponed.
Deciding when to hold the 12-team 2024 Wafcon finals has been complicated by the fact that Nigeria and Zambia, record nine-time champions, will take part in the Paris Olympics in July and August.
Speaking ahead of Caf’s announcement, Nigerian international Desire Oparanozie told BBC Sport Africa that a delay would set back women’s football in Africa.
“Not holding this tournament when we should have will take us maybe 10 steps back,” said the striker.
“When it comes to women’s football, we’re still trying to get to where we need to be.
“I think, first of all, it is [a] lack of prioritizing women’s football in Africa, because you can’t tell me that it’s the same thing when it comes to men.”
Wafcon 2024 Qualification was completed last December, meaning players and coaches will have waited more than 18 months for the finals by the time the tournament begins.
Earlier this month, Desiree Ellis, head coach of current female continental champions South Africa criticized Caf’s handling of the situation.
“If (Wafcon) is postponed or cancelled, it will be a huge, huge disappointment,” the 61-year-old told BBC Sport Africa.
Caf president Motsepe said he was “impressed” by the growth of women’s football on the continent.
“I hope Wafcon Morocco 2024 will be an immense success,” he added.
