Feb 22, 2024 - 10:15
By guardian.ng

Morocco 2025 AFCON gets July to August date

The AFCON trophy.

The Confederation of African Football and Moroccan Football Association have agreed that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will hold in July and August.

Although the dates have not been made official by the African football governing body, sources close to the confederation say it has agreed with Morocco to host the 35th AFCON from July 20 to August 17, 2025.

Playing the championship in the summer of 2025 means players based in Europe would be free from club engagements that period, as most overseas leagues would be on break then. It would also be the first time in three years the AFCON would be held during the off-season.

The editions in Cameroon 2021 and Cote d’Ivoire 2023 were held in January and February, which upset some European clubs whose players left for the championship during their busy season.

CAF held the preliminary draw for the 2025 AFCON, pitting the eight lowest ranked teams in the continent in a battle to make the main draw.In the draw held in Cairo, Egypt, and Somalia were pitted against Eswatini, with Sao Tome to meet South Sudan.

Chad will battle with Mauritius, just as Djibouti and Liberia will fight to join the main draw. Winners of the ties on home and away basis will join the main draw.

CAF is desirous of seeing that Morocco 2025 holds as scheduled because the last two editions were held a year after the original dates. Cameroon 2021 was played in 2022, while Cote d’Ivoire 2023 held this year because the hosts were not ready at the original dates. Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania will all jointly host the 2027 Cup of Nations.