Super Eagles alert: CAF ponders the possibility of postponing AFCON 2023

The Nigerian nationwide group is focusing on a fourth continental crown in Ivory Coast subsequent 12 months

The Tremendous Eagles might have their goals of claiming a fourth winners medal on the Africa Cup of Nations delayed.

A Le Monde report claims the Confederation of African Soccer, CAF, is contemplating suspending the following version of the continent’s flagship soccer championship within the Ivory Coast.

The 17 version of the continental championship, AFCON 2023, was initially scheduled for June 23 to July 23, 2023, in Ivory Coast.

However precisely a 12 months earlier than kickoff, main cities in Ivory Coast are experiencing heavy rains with floods. And CAF is starting to confess that scheduling the competitors in the course of the wet season might not essentially be a vivid concept.

“We’re contemplating it; it is without doubt one of the potentialities,” admits CAF Secretary Normal Veron Mosengo-Omba, interviewed by Le Monde.

“We requested Ivorian meteorologists to report back to us on rainfall historical past in Côte d’Ivoire in June and July, but additionally to share their projections with us.”

Rescheduling the championship could also be difficult, although.

With the 2022 World Cup billed for November 21 to December 18, 2022, it’s inconceivable to push again the AFCON to January-February 2023.

Clearly, gamers won’t be able to take part in two main tournaments within the area of some weeks.

The almost certainly different seems to be to postpone the AFCON to January-February 2024.

That’s just like the earlier version, AFCON 2021, in Cameroon, which kicked off earlier this 12 months after the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted preliminary plans.

The topic is predicted to be on the menu of the forty fourth Bizarre Normal Meeting of CAF scheduled for August 10 in Arusha, Tanzania.

A Sadio Mane-inspired Senegal lifted the trophy in Cameroon – a primary in historical past – after beating Egypt on penalties within the remaining.

Three-time AFCON champions, Nigeria, haven’t tasted triumph within the competitors since their final romp to glory at South Africa 2013.

However newly appointed chief coach Jose Peseiro has expressed his need to information the Tremendous Eagles to a fourth continental crown subsequent 12 months.

Nigeria are on observe to qualify for the event after claiming victories over Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principe of their first two video games of the marketing campaign.