The Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) has announced that the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations will kick off on January 9.
The tournament had been due to take place in June and July but Fecafoot say the change has been made due to the weather conditions in the country at that time of year.
Officials in Cameroon met with representatives from the Confederation of African Football (Caf), including president Ahmad, on Wednesday in Yaounde.
“It (2021 Africa Cup of Nations) will be played in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6, 2021. Date changed for weather reasons at Cameroon’s request,” Fecafoot posted online.
The change also means that the tournament will not clash with the expanded Club World Cup being held in China in June 2021.
Caf explained that the change has been made at the request of Cameroon.
“We have reviewed the period of the competition as requested by the Cameroonian party due to unfavourable climatic conditions during the period initially slated,” Caf’s deputy general secretary Tony Baffoe read from a statement.
“After listening to the various arguments and viewpoints, and in particular from the Cameroonian meteorological authorities, the coaches and players; the representatives of the Afcon organising committee, which received the mandate from Caf Executive Committee to take the decision, has granted this request.
“A detailed reported shall be presented to the members of the Executive Committee during its next session on 6th February.”
In November 2018 Cameroon were stripped of hosting the 2019 Nations Cup with Caf saying it was because of delays in the progress of Cameroon’s preparations.A month later Caf announced that Cameroon had agreed to host the 2021 edition instead.