Afcon 2025 moved to December

[Bigpokey24]

CAF is becoming a joke, they are the only federation that keeps moving and changing their tournament's date.

https://www.completesports.com/afcon-20 ... -december/
https://www.afrik-foot.com/en-ng/afcon- ... rge-danger

[Enugu II]

CAF is becoming a joke, they are the only federation that keeps moving and changing their tournament's date.

Na sooooo!! CAF is a joke. They have a flagship tournament and yet they have allowed Europe to influence scheduling that has now led to a farce.

[ANC]

it should be every 4 years inline with other federations.

[mcal]

...and it's not like they generate a lot of revenue every 2yrs of the show.

[Enugu II]

...and it's not like they generate a lot of revenue every 2yrs of the show.

Mcal

The most recent version did but that should be, increasingly, the goal going forward. There were losses under Ahmad but this recent AFCON generated much more.

The actual figures are 300% increase in revenue from last AFCON. The projected revenue was $79 million.

In my view, CAF should resist the push to summer because that may lead to revenue competition. In any case, for whatever decision, they should stick to some consistent schedule. Moreover, they should resist FIFA's push for a 4 year cycle because that will have a downward impact on revenue and revenue cycle.

[mcal]

...and it's not like they generate a lot of revenue every 2yrs of the show.

Mcal

The most recent version did but that should be, increasingly, the goal going forward. There were losses under Ahmad but this recent AFCON generated much more.

The actual figures are 300% increase in revenue from last AFCON. The projected revenue was $79 million.

In my view, CAF should resist the push to summer because that may lead to revenue competition. In any case, for whatever decision, they should stick to some consistent schedule. Moreover, they should resist FIFA's push for a 4 year cycle because that will have a downward impact on revenue and revenue cycle.

...I must say the revenue is not guaranteed to be consistent given the economic situation in many African countries today.

[ohenhen1]

So how does that affect Finidi contract?

The NFF never learn.

[Eaglezbeak]

Here we go again.

[1naija]

I am OK with this. There is no difference between December and January. This is far better than moving it to the rainy season in June. The players will even like it, because now they don't have to "do Christmas" for those useless lazy cousins that wait for them every December.

[Babadee]

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

[Bell]

I HOPE GOING FWD...they will review their situation and achieve a fixed schedule. I suspect this mirrors symptoms in the domestic schedules of African countries, Nigeria's for sure. This does not happen in well functioning orgs. But in fairness to them, even the US MLS often rearranges its schedule.
Bell

[Damunk]

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

[Bigpokey24]

I don't support a December afcon.

[aruako1]

I hope we now see that CAF can never appease Europe or FIFA. They have been screaming for a summer AFCON for years, and when it looks as if it might happen, they ask us to move it. They will moan again if we pick a December date

[wiseone]

I am actually happy about this as I enjoy listening to English football coaches and fans lose their minds about losing squad players for 3 games every 2 years during which their team plays over 100 matches.

[Babadee]

Why would they not lose their mind especially the managers. They are usually the first to get fired if results go bad. Club football is what puts money in the pocket of those players. Without a good performance in club no national team.


They can schedule it during the 2-3 week January international window or summer if u ask me

[King Futcha]

I don't support a December afcon.

selfishly, I plan to attend Lord willing, so this is perfect.

[Damunk]

Like I said, we are looking at all this strictly as fans.
For us, we are the most important ‘player’ in all this. This is all about our entertainment.

But has anyone ever asked what another important player - the professional African footballer himself - would prefer?
It’s their livelihood after all.
What do you guys reckon their preference would be?

Note the word ‘preference’.

I’m not asking what they would do or are already doing.

[vancity eagle]

Why December instead of January though ?

[wiseone]

The "concern" is overblown. The AFCON usually takes place during the winter break when most European leagues are on recess and the clubs do not have matches. Even the countries that have matches are usually playing cup matches for which clubs usually rest first team players and pick reserves/youth team players anyway (AKA games in which an African star player will not play anyway).

Given that 16 of the 24 AFCON players play only 4 or fewer matches at the AFCON (because they get eliminated in the group phase or round 2), and that top Premier League clubs play about 60 games per season, is it really that big of a deal for a player to miss 3-4 low priority cup matches every 120 club matches?

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

[Damunk]

The "concern" is overblown. The AFCON usually takes place during the winter break when most European leagues are on recess and the clubs do not have matches. Even the countries that have matches are usually playing cup matches for which clubs usually rest first team players and pick reserves/youth team players anyway (AKA games in which an African star player will not play anyway).

Given that 16 of the 24 AFCON players play only 4 or fewer matches at the AFCON (because they get eliminated in the group phase or round 2), and that top Premier League clubs play about 60 games per season, is it really that big of a deal for a player to miss 3-4 low priority cup matches every 120 club matches?

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

I don’t know the answer to this question but there appears to be a lot of subjective opinion in your post, passed as fact.
It woulda been nice to check whether what you suggest is backable, especially your use of the word ‘most’.
AFCON usually runs into February, so no serious coach can effectively plan on the assumption that his players will be coming back to base in a week or ten days.

[1naija]

How about we just cancel AFCON pata pata so both the EPL and players don't ever worry about losing each other?

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

[Damunk]

How about we just cancel AFCON pata pata so both the EPL and players don't ever worry about losing each other?

Imagine an EPL club lose a player to afcon in the busy December period?

January 2026 make sense when there will be Euro WCQ

Not just a team losing a player but a player losing his place in the team.
It’s a real concern for players and I don’t think we as fans quite get what is at stake for them.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers.

I have a better idea.
Cancel all EPL invitations.
Far easier.