The Confederation of African Football’s decision to move the Africa Cup of Nations to a four-year cycle has faced backlash from coaches, who argue it undermines African interests and caters to European demands.
Sports
-Sathish Raman
The
Confederation
of
African
Football
(CAF)
has
decided
to
change
the
Africa
Cup
of
Nations
schedule
from
every
two
years
to
every
four
years,
starting
in
2028.
This
decision,
announced
by
CAF
President
Patrice
Motsepe
on
December
20,
aligns
the
tournament
with
FIFA’s
international
calendar.
However,
this
change
has
sparked
criticism
among
coaches
at
the
tournament.
image
The
Confederation
of
African
Football’s
decision
to
move
the
Africa
Cup
of
Nations
to
a
four-year
cycle
has
faced
backlash
from
coaches,
who
argue
it
undermines
African
interests
and
caters
to
European
demands.
Some
coaches
argue
that
the
decision
caters
more
to
European
interests
than
African
ones.
Mali
coach
Tom
Saintfiet
expressed
concerns
about
external
influences,
stating,
“We
need
to
respect
Africa.
It
cannot
be
that
Europe
decides
–
the
big
clubs,
FIFA,
UEFA
–
what
we
have
to
do.” Egyptian
coach
Hossam
Hassan
also
criticised
CAF
for
not
prioritising
African
perspectives.
Impact
on
African
Football
Hossam
Hassan
believes
the
new
schedule
benefits
European
clubs
that
are
reluctant
to
release
African
players
for
national
duties.
He
questioned
who
truly
benefits
from
this
decision
and
suggested
it
was
made
to
suit
“European
conditions
and
to
serve
European
teams.” Hassan
emphasised
the
importance
of
respecting
African
football
and
its
stakeholders.
Morocco
coach
Walid
Regragui
acknowledged
both
positive
and
negative
aspects
of
the
change.
He
noted
that
European
clubs
might
value
African
players
more
if
they
only
participate
in
the
Africa
Cup
every
four
years.
Regragui
stated,
“Maybe
there
will
be
a
silver
lining…
Maybe
they’ll
trust
these
players
more
because
they’ll
know
they’re
less
likely
to
lose
them
during
the
tournament.”
Scheduling
Challenges
The
scheduling
of
Africa’s
premier
national
competition
has
faced
numerous
challenges.
The
current
tournament
was
initially
set
for
Guinea
but
was
moved
due
to
inadequate
infrastructure.
Since
2013,
every
Africa
Cup
has
been
relocated
because
of
issues
with
the
original
host
country.
French
coach
Claude
Le
Roy
highlighted
the
developmental
benefits
of
holding
the
Africa
Cup
every
two
years.
He
remarked,
“It’s
not
at
all
for
Africa,” suggesting
that
the
decision
primarily
serves
FIFA’s
interests
rather
than
those
of
African
football.
New
Tournament
Format
Motsepe
also
introduced
an
African
Nations
League,
intended
as
an
annual
event
akin
to
the
Africa
Cup.
However,
this
league
will
not
occur
during
FIFA
World
Cup
years.
Coaches
remain
sceptical
about
this
new
format’s
potential
impact
on
African
football.
FIFA
Secretary
General
Mattias
Grafström
supported
Motsepe
during
the
announcement,
citing
scheduling
conflicts
with
FIFA’s
revamped
Club
World
Cup
as
a
reason
for
changing
the
Africa
Cup’s
timing.
Despite
these
explanations,
many
coaches
remain
unconvinced
by
the
proposed
changes.
The
shift
in
scheduling
reflects
ongoing
challenges
in
balancing
international
football
calendars
with
regional
tournaments.
While
some
see
potential
benefits,
others
worry
about
losing
traditional
aspects
of
African
football
culture
and
development
opportunities.
With
inputs
from
PTI
