By Tolúlopé Olátúnjí
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has dismissed recent reports about the rescheduling of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025.
In a statement via it’s X (formerly Twitter) handle, CAF clarified, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, that the Executive Committee has yet to make a decision on the tournament dates.
“Reports on AFCON 2025 are untrue. The CAF Executive Committee will meet, deliberate and make a decision on the AFCON 2025 dates. CAF will thereafter issue official statement on the matter.” the X post read
Earlier, reports had the African football body’s Secretary General, Veron Mosengo-Omba, confirming that the postponement was due to an overlap with the newly-formatted FIFA Club World Cup, set to occur from June 15 to July 13, 2025, in the United States.
Mosengo-Omba explained: “We could play the CAN after the Club World Cup, but would it be in the interest of the players, who played the whole season, to go to America and return immediately to participate in the CAN afterwards?”
The new FIFA Club World Cup format will feature 32 clubs, including four African teams: Al-Ahly, Wydad Casablanca, Esperance Tunis, and Mamelodi Sundowns. The tournament is expected to see a significant participation from African players across clubs in Africa, Europe, and Asia.
However, speaking to the postponement claims, CAF spokesperson, Lux September, noted that the exact dates for the AFCON 2025 tournament are still under discussion.
“Discussions between stakeholders are ongoing to reach an agreement on the scheduling, and the CAF Executive Committee will convene soon to finalize the dates,” September said.
