Hommam Al Nassim 
The President of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, announced the setting of new dates for the 2025 African Cup of Nations, which is hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco.
He explained to Motsepe that the tournament will be held from December 21, 2025, until January 18, 2026, a period that was chosen to avoid conflict with other major dates in the world of sports, including the inaugural edition of the Club World Cup held in the United States.
During a virtual meeting organized at the federation’s headquarters in Cairo, Motsepe explained that the postponement also came to avoid conflict with the Champions League rounds, and stressed his confidence that the Moroccan version will be “one of the most successful and brilliant versions in the history of the competition.”
However, the new dates raise some tensions with Premier League clubs, which witness a busy schedule during the Christmas and New Year period, when many matches are played in a short period.
Some reports indicate that clubs may hesitate to allow their players to participate in the tournament due to its coincidence with their responsibilities in the matches played by their clubs, especially since the next World Cup in 2026 will also require international participation.
The Zamalek delegation departs to Morocco in preparation for the African Confederation Cup final