CAF reschedules AFCON 2021 to January 9 after consultation with FECAFOOT

The Confederation of African Football, CAF have announced the rescheduling of the biennial tournament, AFCON 2021 to January 2021 after consultation with FECAFOOT.

The decision to host the AFCON 2021 had been deliberated on a few times in the last weeks but it was made official after CAF met with the Cameroonian Football federation.

A statement released by FECAFOOT read;

“It (2021 Africa Cup of Nations) will be played in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6, 2021. Date changed for weather reasons at Cameroon’s request,”

The AFCON was moved to the summer (June) in 2019 following concerns raised by several federations but it looks set to go back to it’s previous ways.

Speaking on this, CAF said;

“We have reviewed the period of the competition as requested by the Cameroonian party due to unfavourable climatic conditions during the period initially slated,” Caf’s deputy general secretary Tony Baffoe read from a statement.

“After listening to the various arguments and viewpoints, and in particular from the Cameroonian meteorological authorities, the coaches and players; the representatives of the Afcon organising committee, which received the mandate from Caf Executive Committee to take the decision, has granted this request.”

“A detailed reported shall be presented to the members of the Executive Committee during its next session on 6 February.”

This also means that african footballers who ply their trade in the top 5 leagues in Europe will have to leave their clubs midseason in preparation for the games.