CAF Announces New Dates For 2025 AFCON In Morocco

Published

1 year ago

June 22, 2024

Editor

The next Africa Cup of Nations will be played in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe said on Friday.

“I am confident that the CAF AFCON Morocco 2025 will be extremely successful and the best AFCON in the history of this competition,” he said.

CAF held a virtual executive committee at their headquarters in Cairo on Friday evening after which Motsepe made the announcement.

Originally scheduled for June and July 2025, the AFCON was moved to avoid a clash with the inaugural Club World Cup in the United States from June 15 to July 13 next year.

An added challenge for CAF officials was the desire to avoid a clash of dates with the UEFA Champions League in Europe.

Matchday six of the elite European club competition ends on December 11 2025 and matchday seven begins on January 21 2026.

However, the new dates are sure to upset many Premier League clubs as the Christmas-New Year period is frenetic with teams playing many matches in a short period.

English media reports have suggested clubs might not release African stars as they are compelled to do so for only one international championship per year and the next World Cup is in 2026.

CAF could argue that it is the 2025 AFCON, although most of the tournament will be staged the following year.

Finding suitable dates for the AFCON, a 24-nation tournament won by hosts the Ivory Coast last February, has become increasingly difficult.

A switch to mid year worked for the 2019 edition in the searing heat of Egypt in so far as it avoided a clash with the European club seasons.

Dramatic profit increase

However, the two subsequent editions, in Cameroon and the Ivory Coast, had to be staged in January and February to avoid the rainy seasons in central and west Africa.

The qualifying draw for the 2025 AFCON is scheduled for Johannesburg on July 4 with 48 hopefuls to be divided into 12 groups.

Morocco will take part to gain competitive match practice, but are guaranteed a place at the 24-team finals as hosts.

Unlike the four-yearly European Championship, Copa America and Asian Cup, the AFCON is held every two years because it delivers most of the CAF revenue.

In a recent TV interview, Motsepe said CAF made an $80 million (€75 million) profit from the last AFCON, hosted by the Ivory Coast in January and February this year.

This was a dramatic increase from previous editions, which produced an average profit of about four million dollars, according to the South African billionaire.

The 2024 Women’s AFCON (WAFCON) has also been postponed and will now be played in Morocco from July 5-26 next year.

New dates will also have to be found for the African Nations Championship (CHAN), originally scheduled for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda this year.

Not even the qualifying draw has been made for a competition restricted to home-based footballers and won by Senegal in Algeria last year, and CAF have not explained the delay.

There has also been no news from CAF on a second edition of the African Football League (AFL), initially called the African Super League.

Planned to be a 24-club mini-league and knockout competition featuring the highest ranked clubs in the continent, it debuted last year with just eight sides involved in a three-round affair.

Were the original format to be introduced, clubs would play between 14 and 21 matches in a continent where air travel presents challenges due to limited direct flights between countries.

“You can turn the lights off on domestic football if this (AFL) goes ahead,” warned John Comitis, the chairman of top-flight South African club Cape Town City.

AFP

AC Milan Scrap Victor Boniface Transfer Over Failed Medical Tests

Published

11 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

AC Milan has called off its proposed transfer of Nigerian striker Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen, claiming the player failed to pass mandatory medical examinations.

The deal, which had been verbally agreed upon with a €5 million loan fee and a €24 million buy option, fell through despite Boniface’s arrival in Milan within the last 48 hours.

The decision was confirmed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, on Sunday.

“AC Milan call Victor Boniface deal off as Nigerian striker did not pass the medical tests,” Romano posted.

“Despite verbal agreement for €5m loan fee and €24m buy clause with player in Milano in the last 48h, deal called off due to medical. Boniface, returning in Germany today.”

According to reports, the 24-year-old Nigerian international had two anterior cruciate ligament operations and recurring groin problems that have affected his availability in recent seasons.

Milan are not the first Serie A club to have reservations about the striker’s fitness, with reports suggesting that Roma rejected a swap proposal involving Boniface and Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk several weeks ago due to similar concerns over the Nigerian’s condition.

Sports

Why I’ll Never Advise My Son To Visit Nigeria – Taribo West

Published

3 days ago

August 22, 2025

Editor

A former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, on Friday, berated the Nigeria Football Federation and Lagos State Government for allegedly abandoning the family of late goalkeeper, Peter Rufai.

Speaking at Rufai’s burial in a video posted by News Central on Friday, the ex-Inter Milan star expressed disappointment over what he described as the neglect of Nigerian football heroes after their death.

“It’s disheartening that you have Lagos State, you have the Nigerian Football Association. They drop the bulk on the family. I felt in my spirit that there is nothing to put your life for. That’s why I say I have to shift back so that I will not implode. It’s grieving.

“My mother passed on. I never shed tears. My father passed on in my hands. I never shed tears. When Rufai passed on, I had goose pimples on my body. And every individual I’m speaking to, there were tears rolling down my cheeks. What kind of nation is this?” he said

The former international recalled similar situations with late football icons such as Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha, stressing that the treatment of ex-players discouraged him from encouraging his children to serve the country through football.

“With this kind of example, I will never advise even my son to put his feet for this country. Send me out! Do we have a Football Federation or do we have a Football Association in this Lagos State? That this hero, this soldier, this football evangelist, has to be treated this way in his family.

“Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit in within our groups to ask for money? That is madness. Look, please let me go. I don’t want to pour my heart,” he stated.

Rufai, fondly called “Dodo Mayana,” was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph and the country’s debut at the FIFA World Cup the same year.

He passed away in July 2025.

Sports

CHAN 2024: Top Scorers Ahead Of Quarter-final Fixtures

Published

5 days ago

August 20, 2025

Editor

Uganda’s Allan Okello and South Africa’s Thabiso Kutumela are currently joint top scorers at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), with three goals each as the tournament heads into the quarter-final stage.

The group stage concluded on Tuesday, with Sudan holding Senegal to a 0-0 draw to finish top of Group D, while Nigeria defeated Congo 2-0.

Here are the top scorers going into the CHAN quarter-finals:

Allan Okello (Uganda) – 3 goals
Thabiso Kutumela (South Africa) – 3 goals
Abdelrazig Omer (Sudan) – 2 goals
Kaporal (Angola) – 2 goals
Austin Odhiambo (Kenya) – 2 goals
Clement Mzize (Tanzania) – 2 goals
The quarter-final fixtures are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.