TheCable

FIFA secretary-general, Jerome Valcke, says the 2023 Orange Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be postponed from January to June because of the winter 2022 World Cup.

On Tuesday, a FIFA task force recommended that the World Cup should be played in November and December to avoid Qatar’s harsh weather in the summer.

With this situation, a January edition of the AFCON is impracticable and Valcke has said CAF has agreed to shift the date of their flagship competition.

“The African confederation has automatically and nicely agreed it will not organise the Nations Cup in January 2023,” Valcke said.

“It will have to postpone the Africa Cup of Nations to June.”

Valcke said the aim of postponing the continental event was “to avoid there being a release (from their clubs) of African players for the World Cup and again two weeks after for the Africa Cup of Nations”.

Protecting the World Cup from severe weather in Qatar may hamper the 2023 AFCON because heavy rainy season in Guinea, the host of the 2023 AFCON, normally starts in June.

But Valcke calls for understanding of a “not perfect” situation.

“We are all making a number of concessions to make sure that this World Cup can be played, for the players, for the fans, for the media, for whoever is attending the World Cup in the best conditions,” he said.

“It is not perfect, we know that.”