CAF turns down Al Ahly's request to have AFCON date altered

The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) has knocked back appeals from African Champions League winners Al Ahly to have the African Cup of Nations  date altered.

This will enable them participate in the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup which will start three days to the end of the AFCON tournament.

Al Ahly are set to head to the Club World Cup on 3 February, 2022, where they will face off against the likes of European champions Chelsea for global dominance, but the problem is that tournament starts three days before the scheduled end of the AFCON on 6 February.

For weeks now, Al Ahly have been trying to get the AFCON moved forwards from 9 January to 3 January, to allow their players to feature at both tournaments, but such a decision would have a major impact all across the globe.

"Al Ahly SC sent an official letter to the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), calling on the governing body of Egyptian football to take their responsibility and solve the clash of dates between the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, scheduled between 9 January and 6 February 2022, and the FIFA Club World Cup in the UAE, scheduled from 3 to 12 February 2022," Al Ahly's statement read.

"This clash of dates will not allow the Egyptian national team to count on Al Ahly international players in the continental competition or will not allow Al Ahly to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup with the club’s full squad of players.

"In addition, Al Ahly will not be able to take the club’s foreign players participating in the Africa Cup of Nations with Tunisia, Mali and Morocco to the FIFA Club World Cup.

"Al Ahly mentioned in the letter that the club has addressed the EFA with the problem but the club did not receive any positive answers to date.

"Moreover, Al Ahly highlighted in the letter that the club has been supportive to the national team in all official and friendly participation and never used FIFA regulations against the EFA. However, the club will need his best players when Al Ahly represents Egyptian and African football against the champions of the continents in the FIFA Club World Cup.

"Al Ahly believes that the EFA will provide full support to the club and will figure out possible solutions that will allow Al Ahly international players to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup."