CAF sets December 8 deadline for clubs to release AFCON-bound players
The early release deadline is intended to give national squads enough time to assemble and finalise preparations ahead of the tournament, which runs from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, in Morocco.
Football clubs must release AFCON-bound players by December 8, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Wednesday, as it unveiled new regulations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations during a briefing with all 24 participating teams.
The early release deadline, in line with FIFA rules, is intended to give national squads enough time to assemble and finalise preparations ahead of the tournament, which runs from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, in Morocco.
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Reports indicate that during the virtual meeting, CAF also outlined a series of updates affecting squad selection, logistics and competition management.
Each country will now be allowed to register up to 28 players, drawn from a preliminary pool of 55, giving coaches more room to navigate injuries and tactical needs. However, CAF will only cover logistical costs for 23 players, meaning national football federations must fund any additional squad members they choose to include.
Similarly, teams must submit their final list of squad players by December 11, with changes only permitted in cases of serious injuries approved by the organisers. According to CAF, any federation that misses the submission deadline by more than a week will have its squad automatically reduced to 21 players.
Support staff limits were also confirmed, with delegations allowed to bring 17 personnel, including coaches, doctors and administrative officials. To ease congestion and allow adequate acclimatisation, teams may arrive in Morocco no earlier than five days before the opening ceremony, according to CAF.
Beyond squad rules, CAF also used the briefing to address key operational requirements such as visas, training schedules, team hotels, medical guidelines, doping control procedures, match-official protocols and media regulations.
According to organisers, the measures are designed to ensure consistency across the six host cities, Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh, Rabat and Tangier, while maintaining high competition standards.
The participating teams have been drawn into six groups of four. Group A features Comoros, Mali, Morocco, and Zambia, while Group B includes Angola, Egypt, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Nigeria, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda are in Group C, while Group D comprises Benin, Botswana, DR Congo and Senegal. Group E brings together Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan, while Group F features Cameroon, Gabon, Ivory Coast and Mozambique.
Hosts Morocco will kick off the tournament against Comoros on December 21 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
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