European clubs welcome African football's decision

The decision made by the Confederation of African Football to change the schedule for the African Cup of Nations to the summer months will be welcomed by some of Europe's top clubs who have previously lost some of their key players to the competition at crucial parts of the season. 

The African Cup of Nations is currently contested by sixteen nations and played during January. It has now been announced that from the next tournament onwards, which will be Cameroon 2019, there will be twenty-four competing nations and the competition will be held in June.

As the profile of football in Africa continues to rise, with more and more African players becoming stars of Europe's top divisions, managers have at times become frustrated at seeing key members of their squads missing whilst on duty at the tournament.

This change will allow the players to be available to their clubs for the entire duration of the season, before moving on to their international squads during the off-season.

Additionally, with the mass-viewed European leagues not in action during the month of June, the adjustment to the schedule will allow for more attention and coverage to be given to the African Cup of Nations, which will see the reputation of the competition continue to grow.