Super Eagles in waiting mode as CAF postpones AFCON 2023

The Super Eagles will have to wait longer than they had anticipated as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has now postponed the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The competition, was initially scheduled to hold in Cote d'Ivoire between 23 June and 23 July 2023.

But according to CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe, Africa's biennial international men's football championship will stick to its regular January to February timeline.

There were concerns by CAF officials that the competition being held in the middle of the rainy season may not be a good idea, with harsh weather conditions, predicted to be a thing in Cote d'Ivoire between June and July.

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The idea behind CAF attempting to change the dates of the tournament to June and July rather than the usual January came as a result of conflicts with other major tournaments.

Also, the issue of allowing big-name players to play for their nations in the tournament without missing games for their European club side was one of the challenges experienced en route to the 2021 edition.

“The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will now be played between January and February 2024,” CAF president Dr. Patrice Motsepe told 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. 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."

Earlier this week, CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba, when asked by Le Monde, revealed that CAF was considering a change.

"It is one of the possibilities,” Mosengo-Omba said. “We asked Ivorian meteorologists to report to us on rainfall history in Côte d’Ivoire in June and July, but also to share their projections with us.”