The Confederation of African Football (CAF) says the next Africa Cup of Nations will be played in Morocco from the 21st of December, 2025, to the 18th of January, 2026.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe who made the announcement on Friday expressed confidence in the ability of Morocco to host what he called the best AFCON in the history of the competition.
CAF had held a virtual executive committee meeting at its headquarters in Cairo on Friday evening after which Motsepe made the announcement.
Originally scheduled for June and July 2025, the AFCON was moved to avoid a clash with the inaugural Club World Cup in the United States – which is billed to run from the 15th of June to the 13th of July next year.
An added challenge for CAF officials was the desire to avoid a clash of dates with the UEFA Champions League in Europe.
However, the shift is sure to upset many Premier League clubs as the Christmas-New Year period is awash with teams playing many matches within a short period.
English media reports have suggested clubs might not release African stars as they are compelled to do so for only one international championship per year and the next World Cup is in 2026.