We are just three weeks away from the start of the largest international competition for African national teams, the Africa Cup 2021. A name that, despite the change of date of celebration, has been maintained by continuing with the tradition of performing it in odd-numbered years.

The details of the Africa Cup 2021

Going back to the origins

The beginnings of this tournament, organized by the African Football Confederation, go back to the 50 and since then it has been held at regular two-year intervals. In the first African Cup of Nations of 1957, only three countries participated: Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan. But nevertheless, since then many have been added to include almost all African countries, making a qualifying stage necessary. Nowadays, and from 1998, the number of participants in the final stage of the tournament has reached 16 teams, Egypt being the national team with the most titles at the moment (seven).

And despite the fact that in its beginnings the championship did not have a rule about the years of celebration, FIFA urged to place the Cup in odd-numbered years in order not to conflict with the FIFA World Cup. Something that was fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled since 2013, until this edition, Clear.

The host of 2022

The 23 September 2013 the African Football Confederation (CAF) opened the process for the reception of candidatures by member associations interested in organizing the African Cup of 2019 or the African Cup of 2021. Some candidacies whose deadline was the 25 of November of the same year and that ended with the proposal of three countries: Algeria, Ivory Coast and Guinea.

With the three candidate countries confirmed, CAF started in April 2014 the inspection period of the cities proposed by each candidate nation, a delegation made up of the CAF executive committee inspected hotel facilities, Medical centers, airports, training grounds and stadiums as well as transportation and communication routes.

Finally, the 20 September 2014 after a meeting in Addis Ababa, The CAF Executive Committee designated Cameroon as the organizer of the African Cup of Nations 2019 and Ivory Coast for the African Cup of Nations 2021, In addition, Guinea was unexpectedly announced as the venue for the African Cup of Nations. 2023.

But nevertheless, in November 2018, CAF stripped Cameroon of hosting the African Cup of Nations 2019, replacing it with that of 2021 and thus making the years of the venues run. Thus, Ivory Coast to host the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 and Guinea will host the Africa Cup of Nations 2025.

Draw

The draw, that the 17 August 2021 and that will have as a novelty the expansion of 16 a 24 teams, resulted in the following hype:

The eggplant of dates

Patrice Motsepe, the president of the CAF, confirmed this Monday that the Africa Cup will take place on the scheduled dates, of the 9 from january to 6 February 2022. The suspension of the tournament that had been rumored in recent days is thus ruled out.

A Cup that hinders the League

With the celebration of the tournament on the agreed dates, there are several losers. The First loses eleven players, Villarreal being the most affected team with four casualties: Bath, Aurier, Chukwueze y Boulaye Dia. Sevilla, meanwhile, will yield to three players (Bono, Munir and En Nesyri); and Barcelona (Abde), Cádiz (Akapo), Alaves (Loum) and Mallorca (Baba), one each. But nevertheless, The case of the Barça winger is unique since his call is still on standby and in the last hours there have been contacts between the culé team and Morocco for the release of the footballer.

The SmartBank League, meanwhile, will loan four players, a seemingly slight drop, but what will be diminished by the departure of one of its franchise players. The Almeria, leader of Second and cruising towards First, loses his scorer Sadiq (eight so many), that has been summoned by Nigeria. While Leganés (Omeruo), Valladolid (Janko) and Fuenlabrada (Iban Salvador), players will also lose.

Despite the setback that the African Cup dispute in full league championships supposes for the First and Second teams, this will be the edition with the fewest Spanish members in recent years.