Ten years of turbulence for the African Cup of Nations

The trophy presented to the winners of the African Cup of Nations in football. Giuseppe CACACE / AFP

Text by: David Kalfa Follow

On May 15, 2010, the African Football Confederation decided that the African Cup of Nations (CAN) would be held again in odd years. Ten years later, the organization of the CAN resisted many turbulences, between wars, epidemics and reforms. But it may not be over ...

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On May 15, 2010, four months after a turbulent African Cup of Nations ( CAN ) in Angola, the African Football Confederation ( CAF ) made a major decision: the CAN would again take place in odd years. The goal: to prevent the favorite competition of Africans from taking place in the same (even) years as the Football World Cup or the Olympic Games.

The CAN then comes out of a generally stable and positive decade, if one obviously excludes the drama of Cabinda . The 16-team formula (inaugurated in 1996) has found its rhythm. All the final stages took place in the countries planned: in Mali in 2002 , in Tunisia in 2004 , in Egypt in 2006 , in Ghana in 2008 , in Angola in 2010 . As for the second co-organization in the history of the tournament - after a forced Ghana-Nigeria team in 2000 - it will prove convincing. But it was precisely after the 2012 edition in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea that things got worse.

Wars in Libya

In 2010, the CAF, full of confidence, asked Libya to organize the CAN 2014 with a year in advance. However, the First Libyan Civil War in 2011 and the intervention of foreign forces led by France swept this project aside. Faced with the very precarious context, South Africans are asked to host the CAN 2013 rather than the CAN 2017 , entrusted in exchange to the Libyans. Time is then supposed to play in favor of Tripoli.

But the Second Libyan Civil War (still ongoing) forced CAN 2017 to change host countries, too. After a shortened process, Gabon is thus designated as a replacement.

The Morocco-Ebola imbroglio

Central Africa will therefore host this major sporting event for the third time in six years. Because, after CAN 2012, Equatorial Guinea, it had to save CAN 2015 . And this in just two months.

This time, it is not a war that is the source of this coup, but an epidemic (already ...). In late 2013, the Ebola virus began to wreak havoc in West Africa, especially in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Infectious foci far, of course, from Morocco. But the Kingdom of Algeria, which says it does not want to take any risks, is asking CAF to postpone the final phase for a few months. Request refused by the Cairo-based body. After a showdown with the Moroccans, the Confederation decides to find a new host country for CAN 2015, so that it will be held on the scheduled dates.

A CAN with 24 teams at no load

In 2017, two months after the final phase in Gabon, another coup: the omnipotent boss of CAF, Issa Hayatou, must leave office after 29 years of exercise. At the end of the presidential election, he bowed to the Madagascan Ahmad. The latter, from the outset, announces his intention to organize a major reflection around the competitions. The following summer, the transition from 16 to 24 teams in the African Cup of Nations was adopted. The matches will also now take place in June / July rather than in January / February.

The host countries already designated under Issa Hayatou, Cameroon (2019), Côte d'Ivoire (2021) and Guinea (2023), find themselves forced to take on a hell of a challenge: to organize a markedly enlarged tournament, with specifications greatly weighed down.

Cameroon from change to change

At the end of 2018, Cameroon, already late for a CAN with 16 teams, was divested of the 2019 edition, entrusted soon after to Egypt. The CAF is launching in parallel in a difficult exercise of reallocation: the Cameroonians will console themselves with the CAN 2021 promised to the Ivorians, while the latter are offered the CAN 2023. And the Guineans? Here they are, turned to 2025.

End of the case? Not for Cameroon which, after discussion with CAF, is to host CAN 2021 ... in January / February. We are advancing the deadline by five months. Officially because of the rainy season which makes football difficult in June / July.

Will Covid-19 change the game again?

The story could have ended there, without the Covid-19. The global pandemic of new coronavirus now threatens the holding of the CAN 2021 qualifications. For the moment, CAF and Cameroonians have no reason to panic. There are theoretically still six more windows, through three international breaks, to cram the four remaining days, complete the eliminations, and thus compete in this 33rd edition on the scheduled dates (January 9 to February 6). But there are still many uncertainties around the world football calendar in 2020.

In a decade, the African Cup of Nations has not escaped any surprise, good or bad. Recently, the boss of the Guinean Football Federation, Antonio Souaré, did not rule out the idea of ​​co-organizing CAN 2025 with Senegal. A project that the Senegalese have been calling for for several months. So, are new bounces coming?

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