The 34th edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) initially scheduled for June to July next year in Ivory Coast, has been postponed to between January and February 2024.
The decision was motivated by weather concerns. The Ivorian meteorological agency, Sodexam, has predicted heavy rainfall in many parts of the country where the stadia will be located.
The Confederation of African Football president (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, confirmed the postponement Sunday, July 3, 2022, in the margins of the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Rabat, Morocco.
In a press conference, Mr. Motsepe said: “The 2023 AFCON will now be played between January and February 2024. This is one of the issues we discussed during our congress meeting here in Morocco and the official dates will be communicated later.”
“It is after deliberations we came into the decision, we have partners and even though we make decisions, it is out of respect that we take the advice we are getting that we cannot take a risk [to host the tournament] and so that is why we have made the necessary announcement today [Sunday].
“It is not good for African football to play a tournament that can be washed out, it is not good for Africa and the continent at large and so we have to postpone it.”
Motsepe however, applauded the Ivory Coast infrastructure put in place to stage the tournament.
Following the final vote at the CAF executive committee meeting on September 20, 2014, the African body announced the hosts for 2019, 2021, and 2023 AFCON tournaments, awarding Cameroon the 2019 tournament, Ivory Coast the 2021 tournament, and Guinea the 2023 tournament.
