Football: AFCON 2023 pushed back to early 2024 over weather concerns

Football's Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to be held in June and July next year in Ivory Coast, has been pushed back to January-February 2024 in a bid to avoid the rainy season, it was announced on Sunday.

Patrice Motsepe, head of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), said the body didn't want to take the risk of staging the tournament "under a deluge".

Speaking at a CAF executive committee meeting in Morocco, playing host to the women's Cup of Nations, Motsepe said: "We cannot take that risk.

"January is not the ideal time because European clubs are not keen to release some of their best players.

"As it is now we really have no choice, it's the only time we have in terms of developing and growing African football."