Africa Cup of Nations put back six months to early 2026

The Confederation of African Football has announced that the next Africa Cup of Nations finals will be postponed by six months to the beginning of 2026.

This decision was made due to a scheduling conflict with the 32-team Club World Cup, which will take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025.

As many African players will be participating in the Club World Cup, it is likely that they will also be selected for the Cup of Nations. Despite repeated inquiries, CAF was unable to find a solution until the general secretary, Veron Mosengo-Omba, confirmed that the Nations Cup finals would be held in early 2026.

This delay will be disappointing for Morocco, who had hoped to use the summer tournament to showcase their growing tourism industry and demonstrate their ability to host major events ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which they will co-host with Portugal and Spain.

Mosengo-Omba expressed concerns about the impact on players who would have already completed a full season before traveling to the United States for the Club World Cup and then immediately participating in the Cup of Nations.

He acknowledged that scheduling is a challenge for everyone involved. CAF has also faced criticism for its inability to set dates for this year's women's Africa Cup of Nations finals, also scheduled to take place in Morocco.

Additionally, there is uncertainty surrounding the second edition of the African Football League, the continent's new super league launched last year.

Despite promises to expand the league to 24 teams, CAF recently announced that the African Champions League and Confederation Cup group stages for the upcoming season will be held from October to December, overlapping with the dates previously occupied by the African Football League.