The 2023 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be played in June and July of that year in the Ivory Coast, as confirmed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
It was mooted that the 2023 AFCON could be played in January-February, as CAF plans to do with the next edition, which is scheduled for early 2022.
However, this would mean the 2023 tournament would follow just a month after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which will be played in November-December of that year.
“As per now, AFCON 2023 is scheduled for June/July in accordance with the competition regulations,” CAF Secretary-General Abdel Bah told reporters.
“We have not yet received any request from the Ivorian authorities on the subject.”
An issue facing the 2023 tournament is that Ivory Coast will likely experience heavy rainfall in the middle of the year – the same reason CAF initially rescheduled the next AFCON, which will be hosted in Cameroon, to be played in the early months of the year.
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“The Nations Cup in Cameroon, after the request of the authorities, was postponed to January/February,” added Bah.
“As of today, we haven’t received the same request from Ivorian authorities.”
The currently planned schedule means Africa’s top footballers could play in three major international tournaments – 2022 AFCON, 2022 World Cup, and 2023 AFCON – in the space of just 18 months.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s female entrepreneur Nneka Ede has become the first African woman to own a European football club; after she pulled off a deal last June enabling her to own the 108-year-old Lusitano Ginásio Clube; that is participating in Campeonato de Portugal (the Portuguese third division).
In her own words after becoming the official owner of the club; Nneka Ede expressed her overwhelming excitement to start a new chapter with the club.
She also emphasised the existence of a very deep and long-term sporting relationship between Nigeria and Portugal.
“I am excited about this opportunity and I hope that this new chapter will deepen the already great sporting relations between Nigeria and Portugal, continue with the rich history of Lusitano club and provide a pathway for young talent to develop and shine through,” Nneka Ede said.
On the other hand, the club released a statement confirming that following a process of negotiations that lasted for months.
They had reached an agreement with Nneka Ede who is going to share a path with the club in the days to come.
A statement from the club said: “After months of negotiations with different entities; an agreement has been reached with Mrs Nneka Ede, a sports enthusiast and entrepreneur from Nigeria; a country filled with people as passionate and fiery about football as us; and which incidentally share the same green and white in their flags; towards the transfer of the ownership of the SAD to the latter that will help us in our mission to take Lusitano to the next level.”
