Afcon 2025 to be played in July-August with preliminary round starting next month

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reached an agreement in principle for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) to be played in July and August next year in Morocco, a CAF official has told AFP.

Earlier this month CAF president Patrice Motsepe refused to confirm the dates of the next Africa Cup of Nations, with organisers left with little time to stage a qualifying competition were it to be held in January and February.

However, playing it in June and July next year would mean a clash with FIFA's expanded Club World Cup which is due to take place in North America.

On Monday a member of the competitions committee told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity, that there was "an agreement in principle between CAF and the Moroccan Football Federation for the Afcon to be held during the summer, more precisely in July and August" 2025.

"This agreement was found with the support of FIFA after talks that began several months ago and which intensified during the last edition which finished this month in Ivory Coast," the source added.

"The dates currently proposed are July 20-August 16 or 17, 2025."

The last two Africa Cup of Nations were both pushed back from the original dates. The 2021 tournament, hosted by Cameroon, was played in January and February of 2022.

The most recent edition had initially been planned for June and July last year but was rescheduled over weather concerns.

Qualifying for the 2025 Afcon has yet to start, however, the preliminary round is due to be played next month: Somalia v Eswatini, Sao Tome e Principe v South Sudan, Chad v Mauritius, Djibouti v Liberia.