July 15 – More African federations have expressed reservations about the speed with which the Continent’s showpiece tournament is being overhauled.
Senegalese FA president Augustin Senghor says he has mixed feelings about the decision to expand the African Nations Cup to 24 teams from 2019, when Cameroon are hosts, and switching the finals to June from January.
“If you take both formulas, there is not one that is perfect,” he said. “Playing in January is already worrying and I do not think that playing in June is the panacea. The problems will remain. We will have difficulties.”
“What surprises me is that it has been decided to implement this as early as 2019. A transition period should have been applied in my opinion. I would not be surprised if Cameroon could not do it. Building four stadiums can be a problem. It will be the same for Guinea four years later.”
Senghor says it is clear that pressure from European clubs played a key role in the Confederation of African Football radically changing the format and timing, led by CAF leader Ahmad Ahmad, who ousted long-serving African football leader Issa Hayatou.
Not all players, he said, give of their best at AFCON because “they are afraid of losing their places when they return to their clubs.”
“It is not surprising that after 28 years we have a new style of governance. The only danger we have is jettisoning everything that was achieved by the regime of Issa Hayatou.”
Ugandan coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic believes Africa has bowed to “pressure from Europe”.
“Though not directly, Africa succumbed to the pressure of Europe to have this tournament played when it’s best for them,” Sredojevic told the BBC.
“The people who made the changes I am sure have looked at the marketing and money side of the tournament more than the quality.”
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