The CAF President announced has announced that the Executive Committee has decided that the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire will be postponed to the months of January and February 2024.
Initially scheduled from 23 June to 23 July 2023, Dr Motsepe said the postponement is as a direct and sole result of the adverse weather conditions in the country and after also having received further technical opinion from experts on adverse effects of staging the matches in that period.
June and July are rainy seasons in Côte d’Ivoire.
TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final
The CAF President announced that going forward the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final will now be played over two legs.
“The 2023 Afcon will now be played between January and February 2024,” Mostepe told the media during a press conference in Morocco.
“This is one of the issues we discussed during our congress meeting here in Morocco and the official dates will be communicated later.
“It is after deliberations we came into the decision, 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].
“It is not good for African football to play a tournament that can be washed out, it is not good for Africa and the continent at large and so we have to postpone it.”
Motsepe, however, lauded Ivory Coast for the preparations they have already put in place to stage the tournament.
“I am happy and impressed with the infrastructure put in place by Ivory Coast in readiness for the tournament and I am sure they will host a very good tournament,” Motsepe continued.
By: oktranking.com|Ghana
