CAF Postpones 2016 Women’s AFCON, Issa Hayatou Justifies Decision
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially postponed the 2016 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations following a request by Cameroon, the host nation, due to concerns over seasonal rainfall. Originally slated for October 8 to 22, the tournament will now take place from November 19 to December 3, 2016.
The decision has sparked controversy, with critics drawing comparisons to CAF’s refusal to postpone the 2015 men’s AFCON at Morocco’s request amid Ebola concerns. But CAF President Issa Hayatou, upon returning to Cameroon from Switzerland, strongly rejected the comparison.
“We accepted what Cameroon asked us. How can we compare the great Africa Cup of Nations, on which CAF depends 95%, to the women’s cup, which doesn’t even have a sponsor?” Hayatou stated on CRTV.
He added:
“We can never accept the postponement of the great CAN. Africa felt hurt because by asking us to postpone the CAN, Morocco at the same time agreed to organize the FIFA Club World Cup a month before the CAN.”
The remarks highlight CAF’s prioritization of the men’s tournament, while also exposing the structural and financial disparities between men’s and women’s competitions on the continent.
