The 2025 edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) which was supposed to be the first edition to be hosted in the summer has been shifted to early 2026 due to the FIFA congested schedule.

The event which was scheduled to take place in the summer of 2025 in Morocco has been shifted to its normal winter period in 2026.

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Federation of international football Association (FIFA) made the announcement early Wednesday saying it’s because of the over crowded summer impacted by the new world club cup.

CAF’s general secretary, Veron Mosengo-Omba, told newsmen that the AFCON would now be held in early 2026, acknowledging the pressing issue of scheduling conflicts.

Mosengo-Omba highlighted concerns regarding player welfare, questioning the feasibility of players participating in both the Club World Cup and the AFCON consecutively.

“For the men, we need to make sure that the dates that we’ll be choosing will be in the interests of the players.

“For this, we need to balance different aspects and also discuss with our partners and then we complete [the dates]. Scheduling is a nightmare for everybody,” Mosengo-Omba said.