CONAKRY. — Hosts Guinea have ruled out switching the dates of the 2023 African Cup of Nations finals to accommodate the Qatar World Cup, their sports minister said.
Domani Dore contradicted a statement by Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke, who said last week that the 2023 Nations Cup would be pushed back six months to June from its usual January date.
With the 2022 World Cup now scheduled for November/December, Valcke said hosting the Nations Cup just one month later would be unfeasible. He added that it had been agreed with the Confederation of African Football to move the 16-team tournament to later in the year. Guinea, however, say they will refuse the new dates.
“We cannot accommodate the Nations Cup in June, it is the rainy season,” Dore told Guinea television. — AFP.



