The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has disclosed a date for the preparatory round draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. According to CAF, the 2025 Cup of Nations will be played in July and August next year in Morocco.

Not long ago, Patrice Motsepe, CAF president refused to verify the dates of the next Africa Cup of Nations, with organizers left with little time to stage a qualifying competition which is to be held in January and February.

Consequently, playing it in June and July next year would mean a collision with FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup which will take place in North America.

It was reported that on February 19, a member of the competitions committee informed newsmen, speaking on condition of namelessness, that there was “a consensus in principle between CAF and the Moroccan Football Federation for the AFCON to be held in July and August 2025 to be precise.

The source added, “This consensus was seen with the support of FIFA after talks that began several months ago, and which intensified during the last edition which finished this month in Ivory Coast.

It added that the dates proposed now are July 20 - August 16 or 17, 2025.

Also in the news, It was gathered that the last two Africa Cup of Nations were both postponed from the original fixed dates. 

The 2021 tournament, held in Cameroon, was played in January and February 2022 respectively. 

Similarly, the most recent edition had initially been fixed in June and July last year but was postponed due to weather concerns.

A preliminary round is due to be played from 18-26 March by the eight lowest-ranked teams in the last FIFA.

The teams include; Djibouti, Sao Tome, Somalia, Mauritius, Chad, Eswatini, South Sudan and Liberia

The 2027 Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.