Liverpool relief as 2021 Africa Cup of Nations is postponed
Liverpool have been given a boost with the news that the Africa Cup of Nations, due to take place in 2021, has been pushed back to 2022 with organisers unable to fit in respective qualifying matches before it was due to commence.
The competition was set for January into February of next year in Cameroon, but that has now been pushed back 12 months.
In a meeting of the Confederation of African Football on Tuesday, it was expected that the committee would come to this decision, and it has now been confirmed.
According to reports, the tournament organisers were unable to logistically fit in qualifying matches, with Fifa having postponed the usual window for international matches for every country outwith Europe and South America in September.
The next period is also unavailable, as it takes place in October and November when African nations compete in qualifiers for the World Cup, with the next taking place in Qatar in 2022.
With Liverpool hosting talent such as Sadio Mane (Senegal) Naby Keita (Guinea) and Mohamed Salah (Egypt), they would have faced a difficult period should key players be missing for a month or longer - but that will now no longer be the case.
The AFCON takes place every two years, with the last tournament in 2019. That was already a deviation from the tradition of having it held in January and February, as it was moved to the summer in Egypt to appease European clubs who usually lost their top African stars in a key period of the season.
The reigning African champions are Senegal, who defeated Senegal 1-0 in the final after a goal from Baghdad Bounedjah.