Qualifying matches for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations which were scheduled for September have been pushed back to March next year to help the continent’s teams prepare for the World Cup in Qatar, AFP learned on Thursday. Show The decision to delay the qualifiers was eased when the finals, originally scheduled to be held in June and July 2023 in Ivory Coast, were postponed to early 2024 in a bid to avoid the rainy season. "The postponement of the Cup of Nations offered an opportunity to reschedule the remaining qualifying matches," a document addressed to the members of the executive committee of the CAF, which has been seen by AFP, outlined. "It also makes it possible to set up dates in September to international friendly matches to prepare for the World Cup." Senegal, the 2022 Cup of Nations winner, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia have qualified for the World Cup which will take place in Qatar from 21 November to 18 December. The third and fourth rounds of qualifying for the 2024 Cup of Nations are scheduled on March 2023, match days five and six will be held in June with the sixth day set for September. The first two rounds were completed in June this year.
There will be a constant diet of Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for almost a fortnight at the start of next month, according to the fixture list released by organisers. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has sent dates for the first two rounds of the group phase to member associations, and qualifiers for the 2023 finals in the Ivory Coast will be played daily from 1-9 June, with further fixtures on 13 June. The games have been spread out to accommodate plans by Africa's five representatives at this year's World Cup and other countries to squeeze some friendly matches into the two-week international window. Qatar-bound Morocco are playing a warm-up against the United States in Cincinnati on 2 June, which means their Group K fixtures against South Africa and Liberia only take place on 9 and 13 June, after many of the other countries have already competed their first two group. World Cup qualifiers Ghana and Tunisia will both play in the Kirin Cup in Japan on 10 and 14 June, once their first two qualifiers have been completed.
Meanwhile, Nigeria have fixed friendlies against Mexico in Dallas on 28 May and Ecuador in New Jersey on 2 June before they play their Nations Cup qualifiers against Sierra Leone and Sao Tome e Principe or Mauritius. The outcome of a protest by Mauritius that Sao Tome's lead striker Luis Leal did not present a valid Covid-19 PCR test before the first leg of their preliminary round tie in Mauritius in March is still to be announced by Caf. Caf has told BBC Sport Africa that its disciplinary committee will meet to discuss the Mauritian appeal on Sunday. If Mauritius are successful, they will take the place of the Saotomense in Group A with Nigeria, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone. Issues with stadia persist Qualifiers for the 2023 Nations Cup, much like the 2022 World Cup preliminaries, are again characterised by a high number of countries having to move their home matches to neutral venues because of the poor standard of their stadia. Burkina Faso, Burundi, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Sao Tome e Principe and South Sudan have already secured alternate venues. Malawi are hoping a Caf inspection of their Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe will prove successful and allow them to host their clash against Ethiopia on 2 June there, or otherwise they will play the game in Johannesburg. Elsewhere, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe have yet to communicate their home venue for matches. The issue of Kenya and Zimbabwe's participation is also still in the balance as both were included in last month's draw on the premise they might have their global bans, imposed by world governing body Fifa, lifted. But there has been no movement over the past few weeks on the issue for either country, who, if they do not have their suspensions lifted two weeks before their first matches, will be kicked out of the competition. The third and fourth round of qualifiers will be played in September, with the last two rounds in March next year. The top two teams in each of the 12 groups will advance to the finals, except from Group H where only one qualifies as the Ivorians are already assured of a place at the finals as hosts. Holders Senegal, who clinched the 2021 Nations Cup by beating Egypt on penalties in the final in Cameroon in February, will face Benin, Mozambique and Rwanda in Group L. Africa Cup of Nations 2023 qualifiers (all kick-off times GMT)1 June
2 June
3 June
4 June
5 June
6 June
7 June
8 June
9 June
13 June
Kick-off times and venues subject to alterations. Which country will host the 2024 Afcon?The next Africa Cup of Nations will be played in Ivory Coast in 2024, and not 2023, Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Patrice Motsepe said on Sunday. The tournament was to be hosted in June-July 2023, which is the height of the rainy season in Ivory Coast.
Why is the next Afcon in 2023?The 17th edition of the continental championship, AFCON 2023, was originally scheduled to take place next summer in the Ivory Coast. But heavy floods expected in the west Africa country at that time of year have prompted organisers to move the tournament from June and July 2023 to January and February 2024.
Did Bafana Bafana qualify for Afcon 2023?Bafana will qualify for 2023 Afcon - Mosimane.
Who will host the Afcon 2025?Since Guinea handed back its hosting rights for the 2025 AFCON, Algeria, the 2019 winners, is one of the main candidates to have put their name down for hosting Africa's illustrious event, having only hosted once before in 1990.
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