CAF Push Back 2019 AFCON Kick-Off Date By A Week

28th January 2019 - by AFP

The tournament to be hosted in Egypt will now run from June 21 to July 19 instead of June 15 to July 13 due to the holy month of Ramadan

Adjoint Secretary-General of The African Football Federation (CAF) Anthony Baffoe gestures as he addresses a press conference alongside the first vice-president of The African Football Federation (CAF) Amaju Pinnick (C) and second vice-president Omari Selemani (2R), President of Senegalese Football Federation Augustin Senghor (2L) and Hedi Hamel (R) on Goree Island off the coast of Dakar on January 7, 2019.PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

SUMMARY

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in June and July has been pushed back by a week to cater for the holy month of Ramadan, the tournament's chief told AFP on Sunday
The four-week long event will now run from June 21-July 19 instead of June 15-July 13, said Mohamed Fadl, a former player who has been handed the task of supervising the continental showpiece by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA).
Ramadan, in which Muslims abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset, will this year be observed from the start of May until the beginning of June
The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations will for the first time this year take place in the summer and feature 24 teams rather than sixteen

CAIRO, Egypt- The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in June and July has been pushed back by a week to cater for the holy month of Ramadan, the tournament's chief told AFP on Sunday.

The four-week long event will now run from June 21-July 19 instead of June 15-July 13, said Mohamed Fadl, a former player who has been handed the task of supervising the continental showpiece by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA).

"The Confederation of African Football has officially informed us of the postponement (of the original dates)," said told Fadl.

"The decision was taken following requests from the Maghreb countries of Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria who want their players to have time to rest after the end of Ramadan."

Ramadan, in which Muslims abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset, will this year be observed from the start of May until the beginning of June.

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations will for the first time this year take place in the summer and feature 24 teams rather than sixteen.