Audio By Carbonatix
In 2023, Africa will most certainly have a Nations Cup in June for the first time ever.
That seems to have been set in stone, as comments on Wednesday from world football governing body, Fifa, showed an agreement with the Confederation of African Football on the matter.
"The African confederation has automatically and nicely agreed it will not organise the Nations Cup in January 2023," Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke said.
"It will have to postpone the Africa Cup of Nations to June."
The executive committee of the world governing body is expected to decide on the new dates for World Cup next month following a recommendation by a Fifa task force.
It was decided that the original June-July dates for the global event would be untenable because the high temperatures in Qatar at the time would make it unsafe for both players and fans.
The other dates under consideration are seen to be less appealing. A January-February tournament would clash with the Winter Olympics, while the Muslim holy month of the Ramadan begins shortly afterwards in April. Hot conditions then prevail from May to September.
"We are all making a number of concessions to make sure that this World Cup can be played, for the players, for the fans, for the media, for whoever is attending the World Cup in the best conditions," Valcke added. "It is not perfect, we know that."
Guinea, who are slated to host the Afcon in 2023 is geographically very wet in the middle of the year, with daily rainfall records not abnormal.
Caf has always held the Nations Cup in the early part of the year to avoid the rainy midyear conditions across much of the continent.
In response to some big European clubs trying to lobby for compensation due to the certain disruption to their leagues at the time, Valcke says there will be no such thing.
"There will be no compensation. There are seven years to reorganize. We are in agreement with the clubs.
Latest Stories
-
US film stars Meagan Good and Jonathan Majors become Guinea citizens after DNA tests
42 minutes -
He once criticised African leaders who cling to power. Now Museveni wants a 7th term
53 minutes -
Malaysia and Indonesia block Musk’s Grok over sexually explicit deepfakes
1 hour -
US Justice Department opens criminal probe into Fed chair Jerome Powell
1 hour -
Meta blocks 550,000 accounts under Australia’s social media ban
1 hour -
Golden Globes 2026: The full list of winners and nominees
2 hours -
Sabalenka beats Kostyuk to win third Brisbane title
5 hours -
Google employee made redundant after reporting manager who showed nude of wife, court hears
6 hours -
‘Big personality’ Martinelli goes from ‘idiot’ to hat-trick hero
6 hours -
‘Fragile’ Manchester United set for fewest games in season since 1914/15
6 hours -
Musk says X outcry is ‘excuse for censorship’
6 hours -
Armwrestling Supermatch: Sackey, Acquah and Yeboah thrill fans in Accra
6 hours -
Sweden to invest $1.6 billion in air defence systems
6 hours -
GPL 2025/26: John Antwi scores in Dreams’ hammering of Heart of Lions
6 hours -
GOC, CSG unveil four-year strategic plan for sustainable sporting success
6 hours
