2023 Africa Cup of Nations Moved To January 2024

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament scheduled for Ivory Coast has been moved to 2024 due to weather concerns in the west African nation, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has confirmed at an Executive meeting in Rabat Morocco on Sunday.

The tournament was due to take place between June and July 2023, but the CAF board has decided to postpone the tournament to January 2024 to avoid Ivory Coast’s rainy season.

“It is after deliberations we came into the decision (to postpone the tournament),” said Motsepe

“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], ” said the CAF president.

In Ivory Coast the rain season runs from April to early July, according to the Ivorian weather agency Sodexam.

The AFCON 2021, that took place in Cameroon, was also postponed to January-February 2022 due to the same reason with Senegal winning the title after beating Egypt in the finals.

Zimbabwe Warriors were initially grouped alongside Morocco, South Africa and Liberia for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers before kicked out of the tournament due to FIFA suspension over government interference.