Africa Football Chiefs Accused of Rushed Decision on Controversial Afcon Change
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) is facing criticism over its decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) every four years, with many accusing the organization of bypassing its member federations in the process.
According to several federation presidents, they were not informed of the proposal until it was announced by Caf president Patrice Motsepe on December 20. This lack of consultation has led some to question whether the confederation breached its own statutes, which require major changes to competition formats to be ratified by the 54 member associations.
The move to a four-year cycle is believed to have been first raised during a meeting involving some of Caf's top executives about a month before Motsepe's announcement. However, a spokesperson for Caf has denied any such meeting took place.
Federation presidents claim that they became aware of the proposal only through rumors and informal conversations, with one describing Caf's executive committee as "puppets" that are driven by key officials under pressure from Fifa and its president Gianni Infantino.
Caf has maintained that the decision was made by the executive committee, which is allowed to take decisions within its delegated powers. However, governance experts have disputed this claim, arguing that any major changes should be ratified by the general assembly, which remains the supreme authority at Caf.
The implications of the change are significant, with federation presidents warning that it will make it harder for local players to stay competitive and lose their main source of income. The move is also seen as a threat to the development of football in Africa, where Afcon has traditionally played an important role in promoting the sport.
The decision has sparked controversy, with several players and coaches voicing concerns about the change. Federation presidents have been reluctant to speak publicly for fear of repercussions from Caf, but some have spoken out against the move, warning that it will have severe consequences for African football.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) is facing criticism over its decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) every four years, with many accusing the organization of bypassing its member federations in the process.
According to several federation presidents, they were not informed of the proposal until it was announced by Caf president Patrice Motsepe on December 20. This lack of consultation has led some to question whether the confederation breached its own statutes, which require major changes to competition formats to be ratified by the 54 member associations.
The move to a four-year cycle is believed to have been first raised during a meeting involving some of Caf's top executives about a month before Motsepe's announcement. However, a spokesperson for Caf has denied any such meeting took place.
Federation presidents claim that they became aware of the proposal only through rumors and informal conversations, with one describing Caf's executive committee as "puppets" that are driven by key officials under pressure from Fifa and its president Gianni Infantino.
Caf has maintained that the decision was made by the executive committee, which is allowed to take decisions within its delegated powers. However, governance experts have disputed this claim, arguing that any major changes should be ratified by the general assembly, which remains the supreme authority at Caf.
The implications of the change are significant, with federation presidents warning that it will make it harder for local players to stay competitive and lose their main source of income. The move is also seen as a threat to the development of football in Africa, where Afcon has traditionally played an important role in promoting the sport.
The decision has sparked controversy, with several players and coaches voicing concerns about the change. Federation presidents have been reluctant to speak publicly for fear of repercussions from Caf, but some have spoken out against the move, warning that it will have severe consequences for African football.
. i mean whats the point of even having a confederation if u r not gonna involve the ppl who matter? its like theyre just trying to make some bucks off afcon without considering the impact on african footballers and coaches... and now ur telling us that local players will lose their main source of income? thats straight outta hell 
. caf needs to go back to the drawing board and involve the member federations in this decision before its too late 
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I just don't get why they'd do this kinda thing without even talking to everyone involved first. It's like a big decision-making process gone awry! You got 54 different teams all vying for attention and resources, and now you're gonna change the whole ball game without even checking in with them? 
That doesn't seem very democratic to me.
! Like, I get it, they're trying to make Afcon more popular and all, but rushing into a decision like this is gonna hurt local players big time 
. And what's up with the whole "puppets" thing? Federation presidents are right to be skeptical about Caf's motives 
. It's not just about the money, it's about the sport itself. Afcon has been a staple in African football for ages, and now they're threatening to take that away? No thanks! 
And now FIFA's involved, that just adds more drama... I feel for the presidents who are getting caught in this mess 
. It's like, one minute you're going about your business, and the next minute you're hearing about a major change to Afcon without even getting a heads up 
. I mean, shouldn't there be some kind of consultation or something before such big decisions are made? And now they're saying it was all just a misunderstanding... like, okay sure 
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. It's also about the future of football in Africa, where Afcon has always played such a big role 
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I'm not gonna lie, this whole thing is pretty frustrating, but let's try to stay calm and figure out what's best for African football 
️.
I mean, think back to when Afcon used to be held every two years, and everyone knew how important it was for African teams to compete on that stage. Now they're changing the rules without even consulting the players or fans? It's like they're just trying to please FIFA and Gianni Infantino 
this is a total slap in the face to all those african fed reps! like, whats the point of havin a federation if ya cant even get involved in decisions? 
i mean, i guess it makes sense for fifa to wanna screw with africa's football scene but come on, can't we just have a say in our own sport? 
But then again, if so, why didn't they just say something about that? 
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. The change might have some initial drawbacks, but I think it'll ultimately benefit the sport in the long run 
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I think Caf is in a bit of a pickle here! 
They're trying to make a big change to the Afcon format without properly consulting all 54 member federations... that's just not cool 
!
)
afcon has always been the biggest deal in african football, now theyre just gonna take that away from us? 
federation presidents are gettin all huffy cuz their players will lose income and local teams wont be able to compete... i get it, but still, caf shouldve done this with more transparency 
. They just make decisions behind closed doors without even consulting their own members, let alone the players and coaches who actually care about African football 
. If Caf can't even get its own house in order, how are they supposed to promote the sport on the continent? It just doesn't add up 
. And now, we've got all these powerful players and coaches coming out against it because they know something's not right. I don't blame them for being worried - if Caf can't be trusted to do what's best for African football, then who can we trust?