The African Cup of Nations stops for Christmas Day, the group stage will resume tomorrow, but the day of stoppage is an opportunity to do some reflections on the futureespecially after the announcement by the president of the African Confederation (Caf), Patrice Motsepe, that from 2028 the tournament it will be held every four years instead of every two. A change motivated by the need to harmonize the world football calendar but which immediately created two factionsamong those who consider it a “lack of respect“and a bending to the wishes of FIFA and those who believe that they will give even more”greater attractiveness“to the calcium of the continent.
The tough stance of Mali and Uganda
The first critics were expressed the coaches of Mali and UgandaTom Saint and Paul Put, beautitus. “ItSince 1957, Africa has organized the Cup every two years, now they say every four. It’s not fair. Africa must be respected – said the first –. Maybe the problem lies in the World Cup and the Club World Cup?“. A direct criticism of FIFA Gianni Infantinowho ended up in the crosshairs of African coaches for having postponed the making available of players by clubs, especially European ones, by a week. “Two of my players were injured in their last match with the club“said Saintfiet.
Who agrees with the decision
Others were more open to the news. “There are positive aspects and some less so – said Walid Regragui, coach of Morocco -. Certainly the two-year format has allowed many teams to progress, or rebuild quickly after a setback“. “It’s a new challenge for the coaching staff and players in a tournament of the same level and in front of a large crowd“he said the Tunisian coachSamir Trabelsi. Somewhat surprisingly, however, the Algerian captain Riyad Mahrez became spokesperson for the supporters of the measure: “I think it will make the competition more attractive“he said.
Even within CAF, Motsepe has been criticized for changing the frequency of the Africa Cup of Nations, allowing European clubs – where most African stars play – and FIFA to no longer be required to make their African international players available every two years for more than a month. “The committee was not consulted before this decision was announced. We were surprised because it raises organizational issues that require in-depth discussions before a final decision can be made“a source in Caf told AFP.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDAll the news from Africa Cup
