The 2025 African Cup of Nations (CAN2025) will be held in December 2025 and January 2026, while the 2024 African Cup of Nations for Women (CAN2024 Women) has been postponed to July next year.

The Announcement

This will be the first time in CAF history that the tournament will begin in December and run through the Christmas and New Year period. The 2024 Women's AFCON, also scheduled to be held in Morocco, will take place from July 5th to 26th next year.

CAF had previously committed to holding its flagship men's tournament at the end of the European club season, in a June-July period, but those dates next year will coincide with FIFA's new 32-team Club World Cup.

It remains to be seen whether Europe's top clubs will agree to release players for the 2025 AFCON, with both club and international calendars increasingly congested.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico in June and July of that year, with nine African teams guaranteed to participate in the tournament, expanded to 48 teams.

According to the rules of football's governing body on player availability, clubs have the right to block players from going to both the AFCON and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“It is not mandatory to make the same player available for more than one final competition for representative 'A' teams per year”.

They state FIFA regulations on the status and transfer of players.

Earlier this month, the Professional Footballers' Association joined legal action against FIFA over the football calendar.overloaded and impractical“, including the creation of the expanded Club World Cup.

CAN Squeezed, Again, in the Calendar

He added that CAF was in discussions with UEFA, the world football governing body FIFA, and the European Club Association to find a suitable date for the CAN2025 finals, in which the welfare of the players would be considered in the decision.

CAF statutes state that both the men's and women's AFCONs should be held once every two years, rather than once every four, as is the case with most major championships organized by other confederations.

The last two editions of the CAN were held in January and February, leading to competitions between clubs and national teams.

The Covid-19 pandemic led to the 2021 finals in Cameroon being postponed to early 2022, and the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast was held at the beginning of 2024 to avoid the rainy season in West Africa.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe said that announcing the dates for CAN2025 took “much longer than expected” due to “complex and sometimes challenging discussions” with stakeholders.

“CAF is committed to protecting and promoting the interests of African players playing for clubs in Europe and the rest of the world.”

"We will continue to make significant progress in this development, striving to ensure that African football is globally competitive and among the best in the world," he concluded.

The draw for the qualifying groups for CAN2025 will be held on July 4, with the qualifiers scheduled to be played in September, October and November.

The host team, Morocco, will be included in the draw, but since the Atlas Lions have already secured qualification, only one team from their group will occupy the North African spot.

Women's CAN Finals Postponed

Deciding when to hold the 2024 Women's CAN finals was complicated by the fact that record-breaking, nine-time champions Nigeria and Zambia will be participating in the Paris Olympic Games in July and August.

Speaking ahead of CAF's announcement, Nigerian international Desire Oparanozie told BBC Sport Africa that a delay would set women's football back in Africa.

“Not having this tournament when we should have it will take us back maybe 10 steps.”

“When it comes to women's football, we're still trying to get to where we need to be.”

"I think, first of all, it's a lack of priority for women's football in Africa, because you can't say it's the same thing when it comes to men," said the player.

Qualifying for the 2024 Women's African Cup of Nations concluded in December last year, meaning players and coaches will have waited more than 18 months for the finals when the tournament begins. Earlier this month, Desiree Ellis, coach of the reigning women's continental champions South Africa, criticized CAF's handling of the situation.

"If the Women's AFCON is postponed or cancelled, it will be a huge, huge disappointment," the 61-year-old coach told BBC Sport Africa.

CAF President Motsepe said he was “impressed” with the growth of women’s football on the continent.

“I expect the Women's AFCON, Morocco 2024, to be immensely successful,” she added.

Conclusion

CAF's determination to find viable solutions for holding these events is a testament to the importance of football on the continent. The finals, both for the men's and women's AFCONs, will be eagerly awaited by fans, providing a platform for African talent to shine worldwide.

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