The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the next Africa Cup of Nations finals, originally scheduled for 2025 in Morocco, will be postponed by six months to early 2026.
The decision comes as the 2025 edition clashed with the expanded 32-team Club World Cup, which is set to take place in the US from June 15 to July 13.
Africa will have four teams participating in the Club World Cup, and many of these players are expected to be selected for the Cup of Nations.
CAF General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba acknowledged the scheduling challenges, stating that while the tournament could proceed after the Club World Cup, it would not be in the best interest of players who have already completed a full season to travel to America and participate in another event so soon.
The postponement will pose a setback for Morocco, which intended to use the summer tournament to highlight its growing tourism industry and demonstrate its capability to host major events ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco is co-hosting with Portugal and Spain.
