The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the dates for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Finals tournament.
In a statement issued on Thursday, March 30, Veron Mosengo-Omba, the CAF general secretary, announced that the tournament will be played between January 13 and February 11, 2024.
Ivory Coast will host the tournament.
So far, five nations; Algeria, Senegal, South Africa, Morocco and hosts Ivory Coast have booked their slots to the 2023 AFCON Finals. The qualifiers are scheduled to end in September.
The Uganda Cranes are still among the teams battling for qualification following their 1-0 win over Tanzania in Group F on Tuesday, March 28.
Rogers Mato scored the lone goal for the Cranes to win in Dar es Salaam and revived the hopes of making it out of the group as runners-up.
With this victory, the Cranes leapt to third position, with four points from four games. Second-placed Tanzania Taifa Stars are also on four points but boost of a better goal-difference. Niger are bottom of the group with two points, one of which they got from a 1-1 draw with the Cranes at Kitende last year.
Group leaders, Algeria, have already secured their place at the Finals due in Ivory Coast later this. The Algerians have 12 points from four games.
That means Tanzania and Uganda will fight for the runners-up spot in Group F, with the Cranes remaining games against Algeria (home) and Niger (away) due in June and September respectively.
Tanzania will host Niger in June in Dar es Salaam and wind up the campaign against Algeria in Algiers.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, March 30, local football governing body, FUFA, president Moses Magogo said Cranes’ coach Milutin Micho Sredojevic will stay on until the end of the qualifiers.
Before Tuesday’s victory over Tanzania, Micho was under pressure due to Cranes’ unconvincing performance in the AFCON qualifiers.
“All positions of the football National Teams are vacant with the exception of the Uganda Cranes. For the Senior National Team, assessment will be done after the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign,” Magogo stated.
