AFCON set to move back to winter & clash with Premier League | OneFootball

Plans to move the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to December could cause major issues for Premier League clubs with African players.

Guinea-Bissau’s forward #3 Franculino Dju cools off ahead of during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group A football match between Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan, on January 18, 2024. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

After years of complaints about the Africa Cup of Nations being held during the European club season, the 2025 edition of the competition was set to avoid that issue by holding the tournament in the summer.

As recently as February, reports suggested the tournament would be held between July 20th and August 17th, to accommodate the Club World Cup between June 15th and July 13th.

Yet it now appears the event is set for a change of dates once again.

Ivory Coast’s forward Nicolas Pepe reacts after scoring a shot in a penalty shoot-out during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 round of 16 football match between Ivory Coast and Egypt at Stade de Japoma in Douala on January 26, 2022. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

The Guardian reported last week that whilst CAF had denied reports that AFCON 2025 would be moved to January 2026, leading figures in Morocco’s organising committee have been pushing for the tournament to kick off in December 2025.

The report added that CAF sources were refusing to rule out the possibility of that change, after months of talks between stakeholders without reaching a conclusion.

The Independent now report that plans to hold the tournament between December 2025 and January 2026 are now being finalised, though they would require a FIFA rule change.

Clubs are only obliged to release players for one international tournament per year, and the World Cup takes place later in 2026.

Premier League clubs are understandably concerned about fixture congestion.

Egypt’s midfielder Mohamed Elneny gives a thumbs up to Mohamed Salah during a training session at an annex of the Olembe stadium in Yaounde on February 5, 2022. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)

As it stands, Arsenal wouldn’t be heavily impacted by AFCON, with zero players in the current squad still set to be under contract with the Gunners by the time December 2025 comes around.

Mohamed Elneny’s contract expires this month, and Thomas Partey’s expires in June 2025.

But Arsenal may well make new signings from African countries before then, or a player with multiple international options could declare for an African team – for example, Eddie Nketiah for Ghana. So the change could yet cause issues for the Gunners.