Former CAF Executive Member, Amos Adamu, on Sunday said that the increment of participating teams at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) would give room for more countries to have the experience of what the competition was all about.
Adamu made said this in an interview with sports Journalist in Lagos.TNG reports that The Confederation of African Football has confirmed that the AFCON will be expanded from 16 teams to 24 from the 2019 edition.
“It is a very laudable innovation; they have given good consideration to other African countries that are just building their national team.
“By so doing, we will have other African countries given the opportunity to showcase their talent during this competition.
“Although it will increase the number of weeks for the tournament, but i think the overall effect of it is going to be beneficial at the end of the day,’’ Adamu said.
CAF announced the decision to move the Nations Cup from Jan- Feb to June -July as a result of the clash in timing between the tournament and international league.
The changes were made by the CAF executive committee in a meeting in the Moroccan capital Rabat.
The announcement followed a two-day symposium organised by CAF’s President Ahmad Ahmad to discuss the state of African football.
On the decision to change the date, Adamu, a former Chairman of the defunct National Sports Commission, told TNG Sports that the change in date was long overdue.
“We have been at this for a very long time, it is better this way, because we understand that most time the timing clashes with the European League, of which most of our players ply their trade abroad.
‘’Since the English Premier League is usually May-June, they won’t have any problem as regards the release of players.
“It may take its tolls on the players but it is the best we can accommodate for now, congratulations to the executive for taking this firm stand.’’
TNG gathered that the shift in date was to enable European clubs release their African players for the tournament as the league seasons in that continent traditionally close in May.
At the first expansion of the AFCON participating teams from eight to 12 in 1992, the tournament was held on an experimental basis in January.
The January/February calendar was adopted at the 1996 tournament in South Africa and that calendar has been operational until now.
- TNG reports that Cameroon, the holders of the AFCON title after beating Egypt in February’s final, will host the next finals in 2019.
Twenty four nations will be included in the competition for the first time.